2024 College Football Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Land After Week 12?

Another week, another batch of upsets, game-winning drives, and blowouts. How do Week 12’s results impact the 2024 College Football Power Rankings, which sort all 134 FBS programs from worst to first?

Week 12 2024 Season College Football Power Rankings

Note: A change from the previous week’s ranking will be indicated within the parentheses next to the team names.

134) Kent State Golden Flashes (–)

The Golden Flashes can only go up after posting a 1-11 record in head coach Kenni Burns’ inaugural season … right?

Losing 55-24 is never fun, but the offense flashed at times against Pitt. Instead of bouncing back against FCS-level Saint Francis in Week 2, the Golden Flashes fell on their faces, failing to take the lead at any point in the game.

When it rains, it pours. Only for Kent State, it’s not cats and dogs — it’s Ls. Tennessee should be paying child support for the way they sonned the Golden Flashes in Week 3, running up the score like you do against your little brother in CFB25. It was 65 to 0 … at halftime! 

Penn State added insult to injury, although at a less efficient rate, jogging to a 28-0 lead at the half in Week 4. After further losses against Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ohio, and Miami-OH, the Flashes are far from Golden at 0-10 on the year.

133) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (–)

Southern Miss burst onto the Sun Belt stage with a 7-6 record in 2022 but fell to 3-9 in 2023. Will the real Golden Eagles please stand up? It isn’t difficult to envision both finishes in 2024 — it all depends on how their transfer additions pan out. Head coach Will Hall didn’t just dip into the portal; he dove in.

The offense replaces nine starters, and four transfers will play major roles on defense. The most notable newcomer is Florida State QB Tate Rodemaker, whose play will determine much of Southern Miss’ success … or lack thereof.

As a team finding cohesion, facing an SEC team in Week 1 wasn’t favorable. Rodemaker threw two picks, and the running game picked up *checks notes* five yards. Yikes. The Eagles turned the table on SE Louisiana, winning 35-10, but outside of a 70-yard run, the ground game was non-existent, just like it was against USF in Week 3.

To be fair, the game script quickly favored the pass, as after Southern Miss jumped out to a 14-0 lead, the Bulls exploded to a 49-24 victory using their … running game. And after two more picks against Jacksonville State, the Golden Eagles benched Rodemaker in favor of John White … only to turn back to him in a 23-13 loss to Louisiana.

And after blowout losses to ULM, Arkansas State, James Madison, Marshall, and Texas State, it’s clear it’s already a lost season in Hattiesburg.

132) Kennesaw State Owls (–)

Last season, the Owls went 3-6, with all three wins coming against Division II programs. That’s not the whole story, as head coach Brian Bohannon redshirted many of his best players after guiding Kennesaw State to four FCS playoff berths from 2017-2021. Still, with question marks on both sides of the ball, Kennesaw State’s inaugural season has not been the FBS the most welcoming.

The defense suffocated UTSA’s rushing attack, allowing just 2.3 yards per carry in the opener. Yet, the Roadrunners got whatever they wanted through the air, as QB Owen McCown exploded for 340 yards and three TDs. The opposite was true in Week 2, as Louisiana had its way on the ground.

The Owls’ Week 3 loss to San Jose State was a copy-and-paste job of the UTSA game, while the Week 5 defeat to UT Martin was a replica of Louisiana’s game plan. Then, the bottom fell out in Week 6, as Jacksonville State exploded for 63 points, with 56 of them coming on rushing scores. And in one of the very few games the Owls could’ve won, they fell 14-5 to Middle Tennessee State.

Sitting at 0-6 in arguably the least competitive conference in the country, Bohannon and Co. were seemingly stuck in a cycle of familiar mistakes. But with undefeated Liberty coming into town, they didn’t just step up to bat — they hit a grand slam. Kennesaw State earned its first-ever victory over an FBS program and snapped the Flames’ 17-game regular-season winning streak, winning 27-24.

Of course, the parade didn’t last long, as Kennesaw fell 31-14 to Western Kentucky in Week 10. While the game was never really close, at least the Owls scored TDs in the book-ending quarters. Then, in a battle between two of the worst teams in the country with UTEP, they lost 43-35 in overtime. Despite the result, it was one of their best performances of the year.

It wasn’t to save Bohannon’s job, though, as the Owls sacked him with a few games remaining on the schedule. He met his players on their walk to the stadium against Sam Houston, who they took to overtime. But it wasn’t enough, as the Owls fell 23-17.

131) UTEP Miners (–)

Former Austin Peay head coach Scott Walden brought many of his players to UTEP, so there’s reason to believe in the Miners’ future — but maybe not their present.

A 40-7 Week 1 loss to Nebraska, an FCS-over-FBS upset at the hands of Southern Utah, a tough defeat to Liberty, and a near victory against Colorado State will throw fans into an early maelstrom, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Cade McConnell looked like a clear upgrade over the incumbent starter Skyler Locklear, showing flashes of potential despite the challenges around him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to build on that performance against Sam Houston in Week 6 or against Western Kentucky in Week 7, thrusting Locklear back into the lineup and leaving the Miners at 0-6 on the season.

STOP THE PRESSES. UTEP HAS WON A GAME.

The Miners hosted FIU, and despite turning the ball over twice and going 4 for 14 on third down, they won 30-21, largely thanks to four INTs by the three QBs who took snaps for the Panthers.

Louisiana Tech and its one freshman QB (Evan Bullock) proved too much to handle in Week 9, and Middle Tennessee State won the battle of bottom-of-the-barrel CUSA teams, sending UTEP to 1-8 on the year. And then, it happened again — the Miners won another game! It was a 43-35 OT thriller against Kennesaw State that featured career play from Locklear

130) New Mexico State Aggies (–)

New Mexico State just had its best two-year stretch (17 wins) in six decades, but with its head coach, offensive coordinator, QB1, and TE1 off to Vanderbilt, the program has crashed through the atmosphere.

New HC Tony Sanchez has been with the school as a WRs coach since 2022, so there’s at least some continuity. However, his head coaching track record isn’t all that exciting, as UNLV posted a 20-40 record during his time leading the Rebels (2015-2019).

The Aggies beat Southeast Missouri in Week 1 and gave Liberty a run for its money in Week 2, but outside of some big plays, the passing game has looked inept, culminating in horrendous losses to Fresno State, Sam Houston, New Mexico, and Jacksonville State.

Then, Week 8 brought the previously unimaginable: a New Mexico State win. The Aggies needed overtime to beat now-2-5 Louisiana Tech, but a win is a win, and those have come in short supply this season. Case in point: NMSU fell to FIU, Western Kentucky, and Texas A&M in the last three games.

129) UMass Minutemen (+1)

The 2024 season will be UMass’ last as a FBS Independent, as the Minutemen will officially join the MAC next year. Don Brown’s squad hasn’t won more than four games since rejoining the FBS in 2012, and with 1,000-yard RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams off to Michigan State, it’s unlikely they’ll break the trend this season.

The Minutemen’s final score of 28-14 against Eastern Michigan doesn’t tell the whole story, as UMass didn’t put up points until midway through the third quarter, and both of their TD drives were aided by pass interference penalties.

They then lost 38-23 to Toledo in Week 2, fell flat against Buffalo in Week 3, barely beat Central Connecticut 35-31 in Week 4, couldn’t upset a struggling Miami-Ohio squad 23-20 in Week 5, dropped their second straight to NIU in Week 5, and couldn’t stay on the same field with Missouri in Week 7, likely causing the rest of the MAC to rejoice at the prospect of more victories over the coming years.

But the drought ended in Week 9, as UMass won its second game of the season! Yes, it was against FCS-level Wagner, but Minutemen fans don’t care. Hey, they even put up 20 points on Mississippi State in Week 10 and took Liberty to overtime in Week 12 — nevermind that they lost both games.

128) FAU Owls (–)

Tom Herman is a good coach, but the Owls underperformed in Year 1, posting a 4-8 record. Despite one of the easiest schedules in the country this season, it’s difficult to see FAU returning to its form under Lane Kiffin due to massive roster turnover.

Marshall transfer Cam Fancher is the starter behind center, and he isn’t on the same level as now-Florida A&M passer Daniel Richardson. He proved as much against Michigan State, completing 12 of his 25 passes for 116 yards, one TD, and two picks.

The Owls were down early against Army and couldn’t throw themselves out of the hole, losing 24-7. Welcoming FIU to a home-cooking gave the players a mental boost — one that only lasted a week, as UConn dampened their spirits with a dominant performance.

Even FCS-level Wagner gave FAU fits early on. But the Owls showcased their ceiling in Week 7, nearly upsetting a strong North Texas squad — although Fancher quite literally threw the game away on the final drive. Unfortunately, FAU couldn’t play up against UTSA, USF, East Carolina, or Temple, dropping to 0-6 in the conference.

127) Akron Zips (–)

Since Terry Bowden left the program in 2018, Akron has been a bottom-of-the-nation team, posting no more than two wins in any season. If Joe Moorhead doesn’t produce results in 2024, the Zips will likely oust their head coach again after just three years (Tom Arth, 2019-2021).

Of course, they weren’t expected to put up much of a fight against Ohio State in Week 1, but praise the defense for keeping the score 17-3 at halftime (it’s about the little victories). Week 2 was much of the same against Rutgers.

MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor

Even the first quarter against Colgate looked rough, but Ben Finley and Co. exploded for 21 points in the second and maintained the lead the rest of the way.

Week 4 saw the Zips take a road trip to South Carolina to face the Gamecocks, and it went about as you’d expect: a blowout loss. MAC play didn’t go any better, as Ohio shut out the Zips in the second half after conceding 10 points in the first, Bowling Green survived a near upset (27-20), and Western Michigan hung on for a 34-24 win following a multi-hour delay.

STOP THE PRESSES. Akron upset Eastern Michigan in front of the home crowd in Week 9, jumping out to an 18-0 halftime lead. The Zips are just one victory away from their first 3+ win campaign in six seasons. That win didn’t come in Week 10 or 11, however, with Buffalo and Northern Illinois setting expectations early.

126) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (-1)

For the first time since 2006, Middle Tennessee has a new head coach at the helm, as Derek Mason succeeds Rick Stockstill.

The last time we saw Mason as a leading man, Vanderbilt went 0-8 (he posted zero winning seasons across seven years in Nashville). And the last time we saw him at all, he coached the 2022 Oklahoma State defense that allowed 440 yards per game, one of the worst marks in the nation.

In short, I’m not sure Mason was the correct hire, but he’ll have a chance to prove me wrong.

His tenure has begun with:

• Closer-than-you’d-like win against Tennessee Tech
• Better-to-forget-it loss to Ole Mis
• Do-we-even-have-a-defense defeat to Western Kentucky
• Have-we-given-up calamity to Duke
• Yeah-this-is-a-lost-season loss to Memphis
• We-lost-by-how-much disaster at Louisiana Tech
• Tough-to-watch 14-5 win over then-winless Kennesaw State
• There-is-always-next-year loss against Jacksonville State
• A-win-is-a-win victory over UTEP
• Only-two-games-of-suffering loss to Liberty

125) Wyoming Cowboys (-1)

Wyoming has a new HC patrolling the sidelines for the first time in a decade after Craig Bohl retired. However, Jay Sawvel is a familiar face in Laramie, as he has served as the team’s DC since 2020.

But with Evan Svoboda under center, the Cowboys are likely facing their first full losing season (not counting 2020’s six-game schedule) since 2015 after losing to Arizona State, Idaho, BYU, and North Texas, all in convincing fashion.

Breaking news: Wyoming won a game in 2024!

It was against a depleted Air Force squad, but it was starting to look like the Cowboys may not win a conference game this year. That doesn’t mean they’ll win another, though, as San Diego State, San Jose State, and Utah State hand-delivered three more losses.

And there goes the commentator jinx! The Cowboys won a barnburner vs. New Mexico, narrowly outscoring the Lobos 49-45. It was the football version of MMA fighters dropping their guards and just throwing haymakers, but freshman QB Kaden Anderson won, throwing for 342 yards in his first start — Josh Allen never reached that mark at Wyoming.

Colorado State gave Anderson his “welcome to the Mountain West” moment in Week 12, holding him to 13 of 30 passes for just 120 yards in a 24-10 loss.

124) Temple Owls (-3)

The Owls haven’t won more than three games in a season since 2019, and it’s unlikely the streak ends in 2024. Temple rolled with junior Forrest Brock under center against Oklahoma, and it went about as well as you’d expect: Sooners 51, Owls 3. It wasn’t all on Brock, as the Owls turned the ball over six times.

Navy and Coastal Carolina handed them their next two losses, but the Owls staunched the bleeding with an improbable 45-29 win over Utah State in Week 4. Seemingly everything went their way, and QB Evan Simon appeared to be the best option under center after totaling five TDs with no turnovers.

Facing Army in Week 5 blew out the candles as the Black Knights pounded the rock to a 28-0 lead midway through the third quarter. But no loss was worse than against UConn in Week 6, as on a 4th and goal with one yard to go, UConn stripped QB Tyler Douglas and returned it 96 yards for the walk-off TD.

Although Temple only scored three points after a 17-0 first half, the program toughed out a 20-10 victory over Tulsa. But the Owls couldn’t knock off an East Carolina team in Week 9 that just fired its head coach. The Pirates erupted for 56 points, and although Temple put up 34 of its own, it wasn’t enough to avoid a 2-6 overall record.

The Owls were then de-feathered by Tulane, who road a momentum wave to a 28-0 halftime lead. Stan Drayton’s time in Philadelphia is coming up — but not yet, as Temple defeated FAU 18-15 in overtime in Week 12. That didn’t even last the weekend, as the Owls fired Drayton on Sunday.

123) Tulsa Golden Hurricane (-3)

The Golden Hurricane handled business against a low-level FCS school in Week 1, although it was more of a game than it should’ve been. Tulsa left the first quarter tied 14-14 with Northwestern State but ultimately routed the Demons 62-28.

After four different signal-callers took snaps for HC Kevin Wilson last season, Kirk Francis has solidified his role as the starter. However, he couldn’t generate points when Tulsa needed them most against Arkansas State in Week 2, and Oklahoma State’s defense was simply too much to handle.

Louisiana Tech and its three QBs kept the Hurricane in the game long enough for them to pull off the road victory in overtime. It was an ugly win (4 of 16 on third down and 13 penalties), but a win nonetheless.

North Texas didn’t let Tulsa get away with their sloppiness in Week 5, scoring a ridiculous 24 points in the second quarter. And although the Hurricane played a cleaner game against Army, the Black Knights’ offense was simply too much to handle, rushing out to a 21-7 lead at the half in Week 6. Even Temple had its way with Tulsa, garnering a 17-0 lead at halftime.

Be that as it may, Tulsa showed up in Week 9, coming back from a 35-7 deficit at halftime to upset UTSA 46-45. At 3-6 following a blowout loss to UAB, the Golden Hurricane have to win their remaining three games (vs. ECU, at USF, vs. FAU) to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2021. Welp, they lost the first of the three despite holding a TD lead in the further quarter, with the Pirates taking home the 38-31 victory.

122) UAB Blazers (-3)

Trent Dilfer was a controversial hire last season, and a 4-8 record in his inaugural campaign didn’t quell concerns. That said, the offense showed promise, with OC Alex Mortensen scheming the plays and QB Jacob Zeno delivering on the field.

The real issue was the sieve of a defense that allowed 31+ points to all 11 of their FBS opponents. Defeating Alcorn State 41-3 was a start, but the Blazers fell to ULM in Week 2, Arkansas in Week 3, Navy in Week 5, Tulane in Week 6, Army in Week 7, and USF in Week 8, allowing over 31 points in all four games.

The offense hasn’t exactly lit up the scoreboard either, struggling to even pick up first downs, starting the timer on Dilfer’s tenure. And just like that, the Blazers blazed their way to a 45-0 score against Tulsa in Week 10 — at halftime.

But they came down to Earth against UConn (scored 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter) and Memphis (53-18 blowout), who threw gasoline on Dilfer’s hot seat.

121) FIU Panthers (-3)

Dueling Indiana in Week 1 was a tough draw, as the Panthers couldn’t move the ball through the air or on the ground. The only positive takeaway was the defense’s ability to keep the score relatively respectable (31-7). Week 2 showed an entirely different side of the program, as FIU erupted against Central Michigan, 52-10.

It appears the Panthers only have two settings: debilitating loss or exhilarating win. In Week 3, it was the former’s turn, as they turned the ball over five times in a 38-20 defeat to FAU.

The trend broke in Week 4, but not in FIU’s favor. Monmouth, who entered the contest 1-2, scored 45 points to the Panthers’ 42 on the road. FIU flipped the script in Week 5, however, with a gritty 17-10 victory over Louisiana Tech, executing in key moments to secure their first conference win of the season.

FIU pushed Liberty into overtime but ran out of juice, leading to a 31-24 defeat on Tuesday night. It didn’t take previously winless UTEP overtime to defeat FIU, forcing HC Mike MacIntyre to play three QBs — each one threw a pick. Only two played against Sam Houston, but the Panthers picked up their sixth loss of the year, albeit a close one (10-7).

However, facing New Mexico State cured all woes, as Jenkins led the offense to its second-most points of the year (34). But the real star was WR Eric Rivers, who set a program record of 295 receiving yards with three TDs. The Panthers then went hit for hit with Jacksonville State but fell just short, 34-31.

120) Florida State Seminoles (-3)

Any hopes of Florida State going undefeated in the regular season were dashed in Week 0. The massive transfer infusion wasn’t enough to make up for a defensive front seven that was manhandled down in and down out.

It wasn’t a fluke either, as the Seminoles allowed 270+ rushing yards to Boston College. However, it’s time to wonder just how many wins they’ll pick up in 2023 after losing to Memphis in Week 3, barely defeating Cal in Week 4, falling to SMU in Week 5, putting up a mild effort against Clemson, gifting Duke their first win against them in Week 8, losing to in-state rival Miami 36-14, stumbling 35-11 against North Carolina, and getting boatraced vs. Notre Dame in Week 11.

Mike Norvell’s squad is vastly underperforming in the trenches and has had no QB play to speak of all year. The result? The biggest one-year drop-off from a Power Five program in history.

119) Charlotte 49ers (-3)

Head coach Biff Poggi brought in 24 transfers last season, and after the 49ers went 3-9, he added 27 more. Florida QB Max Brown and Iowa State RB Cartevious Norton are the most intriguing, but neither has looked the part of Power Four transfers thus far.

After back-to-back losses to James Madison and North Carolina, Charlotte needed an easy win against a win-less Gardner-Webb program. Brown missed the contest due to a hand injury, forcing true freshman Deshawn Purdie onto the field.

However, he only led the 49ers to six points through three quarters, but Trexler Ivey came in and did exactly what you expect an FBS QB to do to an FCS team: dominate (11 of 12 passing for 142 yards and two TDs).

The luck ran out shortly after, as Indiana cruised to a 52-14 blowout. Then, the 49ers narrowly avoided disaster in Week 5, scraping by a poor Rice team with a 21-20 victory. Week 6 wasn’t expected to bring much joy either, but … BOOM, 55-point explosion from the 49ers, who played like their NFL namesake against East Carolina.

Unsurprisingly, Navy steamrolled Charlotte, scoring 24 unanswered in the first quarter. And although the 33-28 final score against Memphis looks impressive, the 49ers scored 21 of those points in the final frame with the game well out of reach. Yet, Tulane (34-3) and USF (59-24) shot them back down to where they belong with back-to-back blowouts.

118) Purdue Boilermakers (-3)

Transitioning from Jeff Brohm to Ryan Walters didn’t provide immediate results, and Year 2 has not been much better. Following a 49-0 win over Indiana State to kick off the year, the Boilermakers have lost five straight. OC Graham Harrell was fired, and Purdue went to a … triple-option offense in Week 6?

Notre Dame, Oregon State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Oregon took early leads and never let up, proving Purdue is still a couple of years away from putting up any sort of resistance in the Big Ten.

Yet, redshirt freshman Ryan Browne had the offense redlining, taking Illinois to overtime in Week 7. But Browne couldn’t put a dent into the scoreboard against Oregon and reverted to the bench for a healthy Hudson Card — who proceeded to lose to Northwestern in Week 10, Ohio State in Week 11, and Penn State in Week 12 (Browne threw the team’s only TD).

117) Georgia State Panthers (-3)

Christian Veilleux won the four-QB battle and played as well as he could against a stifling Georgia Tech defense. Outside of an interception, the defense was a turnstile, allowing the Yellow Jackets to have everything they wanted on the ground and through the air.

Chattanooga gave Panthers fans a scare in Week 2, but Georgia State was able to close with a 24-21 finish. The program then upset 8.5-point favorite Vanderbilt, leading in nearly every total and efficiency statistic.

Yet, Georgia Southern big brothered the Panthers in Week 5, getting them in a 24-7 halftime headlock before they even realized what happened. Playing at home didn’t help matters in Week 7, as Old Dominion came to town and snatched Georgia State’s first Sun Belt victory away.

The skid extended to seven games, as Marshall, App State, UConn, James Madison, and Arkansas State ran all over the Panthers, leaving them at 0-6 and 2-8 on the year.

116) San Diego State Aztecs (-3)

San Diego State is going through an identity change with Sean Lewis at the controls. Usually, the defense blitzes the offense, but Lewis’ unit will pressure its opponents to keep up. That said, he has an unproven starting QB in true freshman Danny O’Neill.

The Aztecs’ defense should remain in the top half of the conference with the help of several transfers, including Tennessee State DB Bryce Phillips, the younger brother of former Utah Ute and current Atlanta Falcon Clark Phillips III.

Marquez Cooper has brought the uber-productive running back archetype back to San Diego State, and all is right in the world. O’Neill was poised in a Week 1 win over Texas A&M-Commerce but hit the deck against Oregon State in Week 2, leading zero scoring drives. An injury kept him out of the Week 3 matchup with Cal, resulting in an easy victory for the Bears.

MORE: NCAA Football Injury Report Tracker

The freshman returned to face Central Michigan on the road, but two missed field goals and a 2.6-yard rushing average on 45 carries doomed the Aztecs.

Yet, 224 passing yards from O’Neill and 109 rushing yards from Cooper was enough to repel Hawaii in Week 6, prompting SDSU’s first Mountain West victory of the season. The second came soon after, with the Aztecs outlasting Wyoming 27-24 in Week 7.

After a week off, San Diego State executed an apt gameplan against Washington State, but the Jimmys and Joes defeated the Xs and Os, as Wazzu escaped with a 29-26 win. Boise State was less kind about matters in Week 10, throwing their way to 35-10 halftime lead. The Aztecs then fell to New Mexico in Week 11 and UNLV in Week 12 and are en route to their worst back-to-back seasons in 15 years.

115) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (-14)

The biggest favorite of Week 0 (-39.5), Hawaii only beat Delaware State by 21 points (35-14) after a disastrous first half. The poor play followed the Rainbow Warriors into Week 1 against UCLA, as prolific QB Brayden Schager averaged 6.0 yards or fewer per attempt for the second straight game.

The defense kept them in the contest, but against higher-powered offenses, Hawaii will likely be blown back to its island this season. Sam Houston may not be who you pictured when I said “higher-powered offenses,” but the sentence remains, as the Bearkats defeated the Rainbow Warriors 31-13.

Schager is back! Yes, it was against Northern Iowa when nearly the entire nation was asleep, but he completed his first 10 passes for 140 yards and two TDs. If he can maintain any semblance of a rhythm the rest of the year, we’ll finally see Hawaii put up the points they are supposed to.

San Diego State ruined the party in Week 6, picking Schager off and allowing just 6.2 yards per pass in the 27-24 loss. And although the offense showed some life against Boise State, no one is stopping RB Ashton Jeanty this season. Washington State’s John Mateer is no different, throwing and running all over Hawaii.

It seemed the Rainbow Warriors might go without an FBS win in 2024, but Nevada flew to Hawaii and handed them the rare delicacy in Week 9. Only, it wasn’t as rare as previously believed, as the Rainbow Warriors came to the mainland and scored 14 unanswered in the final frame to upset 12.5-point favorite Fresno State in Week 10.

They did lose to UNLV in Week 10, but they kept it close with a conference powerhouse (29-27). But Hawaii must’ve missed their flight in Week 12, as they lost 55-10 to a previously two-win Utah State program. Will the real Rainbow Warriors please stand up?

114) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+9)

Following two straight 3-9 campaigns to begin his tenure, Sonny Cumbie’s seat is heating up. Only six starters return, and much of the team’s projection rests on the shoulders of QB Jack Turner.

Turner exited during the Week 1 win against Nicholls after only eight passes due to injury, and the offense suffered because of it. The Bulldogs can’t turn the ball over and expect to win vs. FBS teams, as seen in their 30-20 loss to NC State after the Wolfpack’s starting QB was injured early.

The turnover train resumed in Week 4 with an INT and two lost fumbles, but the overtime loss to Tulsa was worse than that. The Bulldogs averaged just 2.1 yards per rush, and three QBs took snaps under center.

The struggles continued in Week 5, as LA Tech fell 17-10 to FIU. Inconsistency at QB and a poor rushing game once again plagued the Bulldogs, as it did in Week 10 against Sam Houston (9-3 loss). Freshman Evan Bullock played well enough to take Jacksonville State to OT, but the team couldn’t hold on for their fourth win of the year.

At least they play in the CUSA, where games against MTSU (20+ point victory in Week 7), New Mexico State (3-point overtime loss in Week 8), UTEP (14-10 Week 9 dub), and Kennesaw State are winnable. But the Bulldogs weren’t content there, as they then caught Western Kentucky napping and gave them a tough-to-swallow 12-7 loss in Week 12.

113) Troy Trojans (+9)

Jon Sumrall joined the Trojans in 2022, led them to back-to-back conference titles and 11+ win seasons, and left to become Tulane’s HC this offseason. Former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker will take the reigns, but fans shouldn’t expect a third straight Sun Belt Championship.

In terms of total statistics, the Trojans should’ve beaten Nevada in Week 1, but a closer look points to the Wolf Pack being more efficient in all phases. Neither Week 2 nor 3 provided a reprieve, with Memphis and Iowa throttling Troy in back-to-back contests.

However, the Trojans stopped the bleeding against FCS-level Florida A&M at home, even if the 14-9 halftime score had some fans on the edge of their seats. Starting QB Goose Crowder suffered an injury and couldn’t return in Week 5, and his absence was felt as Troy stumbled to a 13-9 upset loss against ULM.

Parker’s squad fell to 1-7 after losses to Texas State, South Alabama, and Arkansas State, damning any glimmer of hope fans had for the rest of the season. But his squad didn’t call it quits, running over Coastal Carolina (342 yards and three scores) for their first FBS win in 2024. Their second was right around the corner, as the Trojans outscored Georgia Southern 14-3 in the final frame to leave the state with a 28-20 victory.

112) Ball State Cardinals (-2)

Rising QB Kadin Semonza seemingly forced veteran Kiael Kelly into an all-purpose role but didn’t impress against Missouri State. In fact, the Cardinals were on upset alert for much of the game. But Semonza shown early on against Miami, even if his squad had little to no hope of pulling off the upset.

Gis best outing came against CMU in Week 4, as he completed 30 of 40 passes for 285 yards and three TDs. It wasn’t enough, though, with the defense conceding 37 points and 527 total yards to the Chippewas. Nothing went right against the red-hot JMU Dukes in Week 5, as Semonza threw a pick, and the defense allowed 15 points in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Western Michigan spoiled the Cardinals’ hopes of their first FBS win of the season in Week 6. Despite a valiant effort from the home squad, Ball State fell 45-42. The program was at least able to rock winless Kent State, challenge Vanderbilt for three quarters, and upset 13.5-point favorite NIU, giving Neu a smidge of breathing room.

But Miami (OH) snuffed out the Cardinals’ longshot MAC title hopes with a 27-21 Week 11 win, and Buffalo crushed their spirits with a 51-48 comeback win in Week 12.

The 2024 season was a make-or-break campaign for HC Mike Neu. In his eight years in Muncie, the Cardinals had just one winning season. After his sacking, Ball State hopes for a quick turnaround next year.

111) Central Michigan Chippewas (-2)

There isn’t much to glean from the Chippewas 66-10 route of Central Connecticut State other than Iowa transfer Joe Labas played spectacularly after battling incumbent Bert Emanuel Jr. for the starting job.

Emanuel suffered a nondisclosed injury before the game, thrusting Labas into the starting role. Labas shined in Week 1, but the bottom fell out against FIU, as he threw five interceptions in a 52-16 blowout. He didn’t fare much better against Illinois but did enough to stave off Ball State and San Diego State.

However, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH), and Bowling Green proved too much to overcome. The Chippewas fell to deficits early, and freshman QB Tyler Jefferson just doesn’t have the experience or elite physical tools to will his program to wins, although fellow freshman Jadyn Glasser showed some sparks in Week 10.

Glasser proceeded to throw two INTs against Toledo in a 37-10 Week 12 loss to Toledo, leaving the Chippewas 1-5 in MAC play.

110) Rice Owls (+2)

Temple transfer QB E.J. Warner completed just 27 of 44 passes for 227 yards, one TD, and two INTs, handcuffing the offense’s success against Sam Houston in Week 1. But the defense didn’t fair much better, conceding 400+ yards on the day.

Even with Warner failing to impress once again, Rice ran all over Texas Southern in Week 2, going over 300 yards on just over 30 carries. But the gravy train ran off the tracks in Week 3, with Houston skunking Rice through three quarters, 26-0.

The program remained derailed against Army and Charlotte, though the game against the 49ers was theirs for the taking — if only a last-second 40-yard field goal had found its mark. Then, in Week 7, it happened: Rice got its first FBS victory of the season! With two minutes remaining, the Owls drove 65 yards for the walk-off TD, stunning UTSA.

The hype ended there, as Warner threw three picks in a 24-10 loss to Tulane, and there was nothing doing for backup Drew Devillier against UConn in Week 9, moving Rice to 2-6 on the year.

But Rice threw everything out the window in Week 10 with interim head coach Pete Alamar at the helm, taking advantage of a Navy team coming off a brutal loss to Notre Dame. The result was their biggest win of the season and a confidence boost heading into the final three contests of the year.

The boost didn’t last long, with Memphis winning 27-20 (Rice scored a garbage-time TD with just under two minutes remaining) in Week 11, ending the Owls’ hopes of a bowl berth.

109) Air Force Falcons (+17)

Air Force entered the season dead last out of 134 FBS teams in returning production (28% on offense; 23% on defense). And due to service academy requirements, the Falcons weren’t able to fill their holes with transfer portal additions.

The nature of the Falcons’ ground-and-pound offensive scheme limits their output, as seen in their 21-6 win over Merrimack. But the lack of a difference-making runner has been evident this season. Despite the defense playing well against San Jose State and Baylor, the offense couldn’t keep them off the field.

However, both sides failed against Wyoming, with the offense going 4 for 14 on third/fourth downs and the defense allowing 361 yards, by far the Cowboys’ most in a game this year. It wasn’t much better against Navy, New Mexico, Colorado State, or Army, but the offense has flashed at times with Quentin Hayes under center.

The drought is over — Air Force won an FBS game! The Falcons soared against Fresno State, winning 33-28. The score was closer than the actual contest, with Air Force commanding time of possession and picking up 24 first downs to the Bulldogs’ 15, six of which came on the final drive of the game.

The Falcons then made it a streak, skunking Oregon State 28-0 at home. Hayes completed 5 of 5 passes for 110 yards and rushed for another 84 yards and two scores

108) Nevada Wolf Pack (+3)

The Wolf Pack moved up a couple of spots despite losing to SMU because of their unexpected gumption with a new head coach (Jeff Choate) and 56 newcomers, including 34 transfers.

They moved up once again after overcoming a scoreless first quarter to upset Troy, 28-26. However, Nevada saw its upward momentum cease following a 20-17 loss to Georgia Southern and completely reverse in a shutout against Minnesota.

The Wolf Pack likely hit their ceiling just two games into the season, but they earned their third win over Eastern Washington in Week 4 before taking San Jose State to its limit in Week 6.

That ceiling I mentioned? Nevada punched right through it with an impressive 42-point showing against Oregon State. Yet, after four straight conference losses to Fresno State, Hawaii, Colorado State, and Boise State, the Wolf Pack’s bowl drought will continue in 2024.

107) Mississippi State Bulldogs (–)

Jeff Lebby is an offensive guru, but he’ll need time to implement a winning culture and sustained success. With Baylor QB Blake Shapen under center, the Bulldogs could score some points but don’t expect much more in Year 1 under a new head coach.

Eastern Kentucky was a good practice game to begin the season with, as Shapen and Co. unloaded 56 points on the Colonels.

However, Arizona State, Toledo, and Florida proved to be much stronger opponents than previously anticipated, handing the Bulldogs back-to-back-to-back Ls. And the fourth was all but guaranteed, with Arch Manning giving Mississippi State the business in Austin.

With further losses to Georgia, Texas A&M, and Arkansas, the Bulldogs headed into Week 10 with one win, but they cooked UMass 45-20 to earn their second. Yet, their first SEC victory still alludes them, with Tennessee thumping Mississippi State in Week 11. True freshman QB Michael Van Buren has been one of the few bright spots, flashing his potential with Shapen out with a season-ending injury.

106) Utah State Aggies (+2)

The Aggies went 0-7 against bowl teams last season and fielded a defense that routinely allowed 30+ points. Getting a win in Week 1 is never a negative, but the QB play was. Spencer Petras appeared notably worse than Bryson Barnes against Robert Morris, and as the saying goes, if you have two QBs, you have none.

It all reached a tipping point against USC in Week 2, as the Aggies gained just 190 total yards, scored zero points, and allowed 250+ passing and rushing yards. Barnes was unable to upset his former team in Week 3, as the Utah Utes picked him off twice and averaged 5.4 yards per rushing attempt.

Petras took the controls again in Week 4, but the defense let the team down, allowing 45 points to Temple of all teams. And even with WR Jalen Royals detonating for a career game, the Aggies played the Boise State Fighting Ashton Jeantys in Week 6, squashing any hope for a win.

From facing one stud to another, USU was no match for UNLV and WR Ricky White III, who exploded for a 6-128-2 receiving line … at the half. Even New Mexico got loose on the Aggies’ pitiful defense, outsourcing the home squad 50-45. But Utah State put it in reverse against Wyoming (27-25), recording only their second win of the season. Still, Washington State had little issue railroading the Aggies in Week 11.

And then the Aggies exploded for a whopping 55 points against Hawaii, their first 50-point FBS game since a 2021 matchup with … Hawaii (51-31 win).

105) Oklahoma State Cowboys (–)

The Cowboys haven’t won a Big 12 title since 2011. Fresh off a 10-4 campaign that ended with a conference championship loss, can Mike Gundy lead his program back to the peak of the mountain? Spoiler: no.

Defeating back-to-back FCS National Championship winner South Dakota State in Week 1, outlasting Arkansas in double overtime in Week 2, and manhandling Tulsa had Oklahoma State sitting pretty in a highly competitive Big 12. But Utah, Kansas State, West Virginia,  BYU, Baylor, and Arizona State completely knocked them out of the picture in the last six games.

Gundy’s squad saw their streak of 18 consecutive winning seasons, the second most in the Power Five, snap at the hands of TCU in Week 11. For the first time since 2005, Oklahoma State will not compete in a bowl game.

104) Wake Forest Demon Deacons (–)

Dave Clawson’s Demon Deacons have been a middle-of-the-road ACC competitor for most of his tenure, but they ranked last with a 1-7 conference record in 2023. It looked like the disappointment would continue in 2024 after they entered halftime up only 17-10 to North Carolina A&T, but it was all Wake Forest in the second half, pulling out to a 45-13 victory.

The ‘Deacs should’ve handled Virginia in Week 2, but the offense choked its last three possessions: punt, turnover on downs, fumble. Wake Forest racked up 544 yards but stalled on key drives when they had a chance to pull away.

While the Deacons weren’t expected to win against Ole Miss in Week 3, at least they kept it semi-close. They were expected to win against Louisiana, who they paid $800,000 to make the road trip to Winston-Salem, but the 41-38 final score favored the Cajuns.

The temperature began to sizzle under Clawson’s seat, but he threw ice-cold water on it with a 34-30 victory over home favorite NC State. The respite was brief, as after conceding zero points in the first quarter against Clemson, Wake allowed 49 the rest of the way while being shut out in the second half.

Even UConn (23-20) and Stanford (27-24) were tough outs, highlighting the Deacons’ 2024 standing. They at least gave Cal their all, scoring 36 points. But the defense allowed 46, with help from three Bachmeier INTs. Bachmeier left Week 12’s contest with North Carolina early with an injury, but backup Michael Kern didn’t perform any better, throwing two picks and losing a fumble in the 31-24 loss.

103) Kentucky Wildcats (–)

Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff didn’t eviscerate Southern Miss in Week 1, but he still game-managed his way to a 31-0 win. Yet, with the game script reversed in Week 2 vs. South Carolina, Vandagriff flailed and was ultimately benched in favor of Gavin Wimsatt, who didn’t perform any better.

The defense can only hang on so long, especially when the offense turns the ball over twice and averages a paltry 2.8 yards per play. The Wildcats caught Georgia napping but couldn’t seal the deal, allowing the game’s only TD midway through the fourth quarter.

The commanding win over Ohio was nice, but the Wildcats shocked Ole Miss with a 20-17 upset, moving to 1-2 in conference play. But just like that, they’re 1-6, as Vanderbilt, Florida, Auburn, and Tennessee took advantage of Kentucky’s QB woes. At least Murray State allowed a glimpse at true freshman Cutter Boley, who looked surgical under center.

102) Maryland Terrapins (-3)

Even behind an offensive line rooting out four new starters, Billy Edwards Jr. impressed in a 50-7 Week 1 victory, completing 20 of 27 passes for 311 yards and two TDs. UConn may not be a vaunted opponent, but the Huskies are no FCS program.

Edwards performed well once again against Michigan State, but the lack of a running game (2.8 yards per carry), an INT, nine total penalties, and facing 17 third downs was too much to overcome. The poor rushing attack (3.5 YPA) and penalties (eight) remained against Virginia in Week 3, but the defense more than made up for it, snatching two INTs and recovering two fumbles.

UConn may not have been an FCS team, but Week 4 opponent Villanova is. While the Wildcats checked in at No. 6 on the FCS Power Rankings, they were simply outmatched against the Terrapins.

Of course, Indiana is no Villanova, and it proved as much in Week 5. Despite a 75-yard rushing TD by Roman Hemby and some solid efficiency from Edwards through the air, Indiana’s offense took off in the second quarter. By the fourth, it was 35-21, and Maryland couldn’t pull off the improbable comeback.

Maryland’s final three drives (TD, downs, TD) vs. USC’s (punt, missed FG, downs) proved the difference in Week 8, as the Terrapins won their first conference game of the year in front of their home crowd. But after losing in a big way to Minnesota in Week 9, and with Oregon (39-18 L), Rutgers (31-17 L), Iowa, and Penn State remaining on the schedule, the 2024 season could be Mike Locksley’s final one as the program’s head coach.

101) Appalachian State Mountaineers (-4)

The Mountaineers took care of business against East Tennessee State, although the defense allowed RB Devontae Houston to run for 126 yards and a score on 15 touches. Defeating a Clemson team hungry for redemption was never going to be in the cards, but the Mountaineers couldn’t do anything offensively in Week 2.

The struggles continued against East Carolina in Week 3, but they came to a head in Week 4, with South Alabama leading 28-0 at the half. The Mountaineers have been thoroughly outplayed at the line of scrimmage, and QB Joey Aguilar hasn’t been able to make up for it like he did last year.

Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Helene, App State’s Week 5 home bout with Liberty was canceled. The off-field disruption didn’t help the Mountaineers in Weeks 6 or 7, as they were torched by Marshall, 55-37, and Louisiana, 34-24.

At 2-4, they were in danger of posting the worst record in HC Shawn Clark’s tenure. But App State responded in Weeks 9 and 10, notching their first conference wins over Georgia State and Old Dominion, even if it took all four quarters in both.

Coastal Carolina ended their longshot conference title hopes in Week 11, and now the Mountaineers need upsets over James Madison and Georgia Southern to remain on the field in December.

100) Northwestern Wildcats (-4)

David Braun took the Wildcats from 1-11 to 8-5 in his first season, marking one of the biggest one-year turnarounds in recent memory. However, Northwestern may have a reality check in 2024.

The team is bereft of top-tier talent, specifically on offense. That was clear in the first two weeks, as the Wildcats barely knocked off Miami (OH), 13-6, and fell to Duke, 26-20. The coaching staff opted to bench veteran Mike Wright in order to see Jack Lausch vs. Eastern Illinois, and he played well, completing 20 of 31 passes for 227 yards and two scores with 62 more yards on the ground.

Of course, Washington and Indiana were on completely other levels. The defense actually performed well early on in both games, but not well enough to avoid an 0-2 start in the Big Ten. Coming into Maryland, the Wildcats were 10-point underdogs. They won by over 20, humiliating the Terps on their home turf.

Yet, Wisconsin and Iowa nearly shut Northwestern out, holding the program to under 400 yards of total offense with points over the last two weeks. Purdue gave its all, but the Wildcats simply out-talented the program, leading to a 26-20 victory. Sure, Northwestern lost to Ohio State 31-7, but at least they were leading 7-0 in the second quarter.

99) Old Dominion Monarchs (-5)

Old Dominion’s unit came together against South Carolina, but the offense couldn’t do enough to upset the SEC program, with QB Grant Wilson throwing two picks and the running game barely averaging over three yards per attempt.

It was an impressive showing from the Monarchs, but the Week 2 loss was gut-wrenching to watch. The defense forced four turnovers and held East Carolina to 3.6 yards per carry. Yet, the offense went 5 of 16 on third down and was even worse on the ground, averaging 2.3 yards per attempt.

Wilson injured himself on the game’s final play, knocking him out of the clash with Virginia Tech in Week 3. Despite a valiant effort from backups Quinn Henicle and Colton Joseph, the Monarchs couldn’t notch their first victory of the season.

The drought came to an end in Week 5, as Wilson powered the 11.5-point road underdogs to a 30-27 victory over a talented Bowling Green squad. The high was low, as the Monarchs quickly lost another game, this time to Coastal Carolina in Week 6.

Yet, they yo-yo’d their way back to the win column over the next three games, upsetting Georgia State, Texas State, and Georgia Southern to remain in the Sun Belt race. App State ended the streak in Week 10, scoring the game-winning TD and picking off Joseph in the final comeback effort to secure the win. Old Dominion then took James Madison the distance (35-32) but couldn’t pull off the upset.

98) Stanford Cardinal (+8)

Stanford had one of the worst scoring defenses in the entire FBS (37.7 points per game) last season, and they allowed 34 to TCU in Week 1. A get-right game against Cal Poly in Week 2 could have been a turning point for the unit, as they proved their mettle against Syracuse in Week 4.

The Orange had no running game to speak of, and EDGEs Wilfredo Aybar and David Bailey made Kyle McCord’s life hell in the backfield. Despite several untimely penalties and interceptions, the Cardinal escaped with a 26-24 road victory, thanks to the right leg of kicker Emmet Kenney III.

Of course, a trip to Clemson ended with an L, but the Cardinal shot themselves in the foot with three red-zone turnovers and three dropped picks heading into the fourth. With Ashton Daniels out, Stanford’s chances of fending off Virginia Tech were slim, making its 31-7 defeat almost inevitable.

Then, Daniels came back to face Notre Dame’s vaunted defense, which went about as good (bad?) as you’d expect. He played a couple of series vs. SMU, but with the score 21-0, Taylor opted to get a look at freshman Elijah Brown, who wasn’t much better (50% completion rate, 4.8 YPA, one TD, two INTs).

Head coach Troy Taylor only won three games in Year 1, and after dropping further games in Week 9 (Wake Forest) and Week 10 (NC State), the Cardinal appeared destined for a similar outcome in 2024. However, they notched their third victory in epic fashion, unseating Louisville 38-35 as 20-point dogs.

97) Arizona Wildcats (+5)

Jedd Fisch jumped ship for the Washington job, taking several coaches and players with him. Yet, QB Noah Fifita, OT Jonah Savaiinaea, WR Tetairoa McMillan, LB Jacob Manu, and CB Tacario Davis all decided to stay for new head coach Brent Brennan.

The Wildcats began the year 2-0, but both of their victories (vs. New Mexico and Northern Arizona) provided more questions than answers. Those questions came to roost against Kansas State, as the other Wildcats scored 31 unanswered after Arizona scored a TD on the opening drive of the game.

The bye week proved fruitful, as the ‘Cats upset Utah in Salt Lake City. It wasn’t pretty, but it was exactly the gritty win Arizona needed. However, the momentum ended there, as Arizona fell to Texas Tech, BYU, Colorado, West Virginia, and UCF over the next five games, exposing lingering issues on both sides of the ball.

But they came together as a team against Houston and beat their brakes off, 27-3. Fifita and McMillan refound their connection through the air, and the defense suffocated Zeon Chriss and the Cougars’ offense every down.

96) Oregon State Beavers (-8)

Following three straight losing seasons to begin his tenure, Jonathan Smith turned Oregon State into a Pac-12 competitor, owning a 25-13 record and three bowl appearances over the last three years. Yet, he saw the writing on the wall for the conference and jumped ship for the leading role at Michigan State, taking several coaches and players with him.

The Beavers’ went 4-1 to start the year, with their only loss coming at the hands of in-state rival Oregon. However, they don’t have a signature win, with Idaho State, San Diego State, Purdue, and Colorado State comprising their victories. Plus, they just lost to Nevada, UNLV, and Cal.

The schedule doesn’t include any obvious losses moving forward, but contests against San Jose State (24-13 loss), Washington State, and Boise State in three of the final four games will test Oregon State’s resilience. The fourth game not mentioned? A road bout with Air Force, which the Beavers were expected to win with ease. Instead, they scored zero points and allowed the Falcons to soar to a 28-point victory.

95) East Carolina Pirates (-4)

East Carolina ended a drought of back-to-back winning campaigns in 2021-22, but the Pirates crashed through the atmosphere in 2023, going 2-10 — their worst record since 2004. A 42-3 win over Norfolk State should’ve provided reason for optimism, but the offense committed six turnovers.

The turnover train steemed right ahead in Week 2, as Jake Garcia thew zero TDs to four INTs. Yet, somehow, the Pirates pulled off the 20-14 victory over Old Dominion. But Garcia’s decision-making and ball-security issues caught up to the team in Week 3 against App State, as he threw another INT and fumbled in a 21-19 loss.

Despite a relatively safe performance from Garcia against Liberty, the Flames had ECU’s number in the second half, coming back from a 17-7 deficit at halftime to deliver the Pirates their second consecutive loss.

Another game, another two picks from Garcia … in a win, no less! It’s not all on him, though, as he has to take risks because the ground game can barely pass the line of scrimmage. An injury knocked him out of Week 6’s matchup with Charlotte, and he apparently took the entire team’s talent with him, as the Pirates fell 55-24.

And just one day after the Pirates lost 45-28 to the red-hot Army Black Knights, head coach Mike Houston was fired, officially beginning the next coaching carousel. With interim head coach Blake Harrell at the helm, the Pirates posted their first 50+ point game since the 2022 Birmingham Bowl, scoring 56 to Temple’s 34 in Week 9.

Then, they de-feathered the Owls in Week 11 and came back against Tulsa in Week 12. At 6-4 with two games left, ECU has secured bowl contention for just the second time since 2015.

94) Auburn Tigers (-4)

Surprise! Auburn has a QB problem. Oh, that’s not a surprise? Oh well.

After a four-INT game in week 2, Hugh Freeze pulled the plug on Payton Thorne and inserted highly touted true freshman Hank Brown into the starting lineup. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards and four TDs against New Mexico.

However, Arkansas was a different animal, picking Brown off three times before snatching another from Thorne later in the game. The Tigers could have Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, and Tyreek Hill outside — their QBs wouldn’t be able to get the ball to them.

Thorne actually looked like a component starter for three quarters against Oklahoma, but when the going got rough, he reverted back to the player we knew him to be and threw a game-altering 63-yard pick-six. Although he had some decent throws against Georgia and Missouri, the Tigers were unable to pull off the upsets.

They were able to ride Jarquez Hunter’s legs (23-278-3) to a rather easy defeat of Kentucky, as the defense had their way with Wildcats QBs Brock Vandagriff and Gavin Wimsatt. Vanderbilt sent them to the gulag in Week 10, as Auburn went 2 of 13 on third down en route to a 3-6 record on the season. Leave it to a matchup with a Group of Five program (ULM) to right the ship, as Thorne threw five TDs to no picks in a blowout.

93) UCF Knights (-4)

The Knights’ first year in the Big 12 was also their first losing season since 2016 (6-7). To avoid a repeat performance, Gus Malzahn paired 1,000-yard rusher RJ Harvey with Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson and Toledo RB Peny Boone.

New Hampshire and Sam Houston were little more than cannon fodder early in the season, but TCU forced the Knights to pull out all the stops. Although Jefferson hasn’t exactly impressed, he did toss three touchdowns with no turnovers against the Horned Frogs and led UCF on a game-winning TD drive.

Yet, in the wake of several redshirt/transfer announcements, the Knights were thoroughly shellacked by Florida, raising serious concerns about their rest-of-season outlook. Malzahn’s squad hosted Cincinnati in Week 7 as nearly three-point favorites, and to provide a spark, Jefferson was benched in favor of 17-year-old true freshman QB EJ Colson … for two drives.

Jacurri Brown replaced him the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bearcats. The Knights have now lost 12 games as a favorite under Malzahn, including the last three. Brown and Harvey combined for 354 yards and four TDs on the ground, but the QB couldn’t do what his position requires him to — pass the ball — against Iowa State. Thus, the Knights dropped the ball in Week 8.

Week 9 brought much of the same, with undefeated BYU coming to town and stealing two more INTs from Brown. Malzahn saw enough, thrusting redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk onto the field. What did he do in his first start in Week 10? Lead the Knights to a dominant win over Arizona, generating over 300 yards of offense on his own.

Rizk played well once again vs. Arizona State, but the Sun Devils proved too much for the defense to handle, winning 35-31 despite the absence of leading rusher Cameron Skattebo.

92) Kansas Jayhawks (+8)

In just three years, Lance Leipold took the Jayhawks from 2-10 to 9-4 with a bowl victory — only for them to regress in 2024.

The Jayhawks sprinted to a 48-3 victory over Lindenwood in Week 1 but stumbled on the road against Illinois in Week 2, at home against a red-hot UNLV team in Week 3, in Morgantown vs. West Virginia in Week 4, in front of the Jayhawks faithful against TCU in Week 5, and in a 35-31 thriller at Arizona State.

Just when it seemed time to ignore the football team and eye the basketball team, Kansas crushed Houston 42-14. Is Jalon Daniels (16 of 21 for 247 yards and three TDs) fixed? Probably not, but CFB is more fun when he’s at his best.

The Jayhawks gave Kansas State a run for its money in the Sunflower Showdown, but they couldn’t notch their first win in the rivalry since *checks notes* 2007. Kansas is 2-6 and en route to its worst campaign since Leipold first landed in Lawrence. At least they spoiled Iowa State’s (45-36) and BYU’s (17-13) CFP bids over the last two weeks.

91) Fresno State Bulldogs (-4)

Head coach Jeff Tedford stepped away from coaching for the fourth time in his career due to health reasons, thrusting Tim Skipper into the role for the interim. It’s a change for the Bulldogs, but they’ll play for their fourth straight bowl victory and 9+ win season.

Keene and Co. couldn’t do much against Michigan, but at least the defense held its own. Facing Sacramento State in Week 2 was a treat and allowed the offense to launch some fireworks, with the show continuing against New Mexico State and New Mexico in Weeks 3 and 4.

However, UNLV showed it’s a legitimate College Football Playoff contender sans Matthew Sluka, skunking Fresno State 21-0 in the first half. Then, Washington State came into Fresno and defeated the Bulldogs in front of their home crowd.

Even against Nevada, Fresno State only won by three points (24-21) — at least they held the Wolf Pack scoreless in the second half. The Bulldogs didn’t need to work nearly as hard against San Jose State, who played three QBs, all of whom threw INTs. They might have taken their home matchup with 3-5 Hawaii for granted, ultimately falling 21-20 on the back of a Rainbow Warriors 14-0 run in the fourth.

However, the Bulldogs’ worst loss came at the hands of Air Force, who hadn’t won an FBS game all year. Fresno State was run out of the stadium (345 yards to -5) and will need to regroup if they hope to make a bowl game with Colorado State and UCLA still on the schedule.

90) Oklahoma Sooners (-4)

In Year 2 of Brent Venables’ tenure, the Sooners improved by four victories. And while momentum could stall out a bit in Year 1 in the SEC, especially with turnover at QB and OC, those around the program believe Jackson Arnold is a future star, and new play-caller Seth Littrell knows a thing or two about generating offensive production.

The Sooners went a paltry 1 for 12 on third downs against Temple and 4 for 14 against Houston — that can’t happen if they hope to make a dent in the SEC standings.

To accentuate that point, the Sooners started out 1 of 9 on third down against Tennessee in Week 4, resulting in a 22-3 lead for the Volunteers midway through the third. Arnold threw a pick and lost a fumble, earning him a spot on the bench for the rest of the game, as freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. closed it out.

Hawkins only threw the ball 15 times, but he completed 10 passes for 161 yards and produced 69 yards and a score on the ground against Auburn. Yet, it took Tigers QB Payton Thorne imploding under pressure and throwing a 63-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter to give the Sooners their first SEC win.

Their second still alludes them after Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Missouri defeated Oklahoma by multiple scores, forcing Hawkins back to the bench and leaving the Sooners 1-5 in the conference.

89) Houston Cougars (-7)

The Cougars hired Willie Fritz to turn the program around after he led Tulane to back-to-back 10+ win seasons. A quick glance at the depth chart shows he got to work quickly, using the transfer portal to his advantage.

With so much change, it will take the Cougars some time to get the engine running. Turnovers and the lack of a running game led to a 0-2 start, but Houston beat up on Rice in Week 3. Looking back, that was likely due more to Rice’s incompetence than Houston’s dominance, as Cincinnati and Iowa State had their way with the Cougars in the next two games.

However, with Fritz taking the keys of the offense and handing them to Zeon Chriss, the unit finally found some semblance of consistency and routed TCU 30-16 as 16.5-point underdogs. Then Smith returned and threw picks in a 42-14 rout against Kansas. Chriss cracked the starting lineup again in Week 9, and, oh, look, the Cougars won!

The young QB wasn’t particularly impressive against Utah, but he clearly is the best option under center for Houston this season. If you didn’t believe that sentence last week, you better believe it after he went 11 of 11 for 100+ yards through the air and on the ground to upset Kansas State 24-19 in Week 10.

But all stars burn out, and Chriss and Co. put up just three points against Arizona’s 27 in Week 12.

88) UCLA Bruins (-4)

Chip Kelly is out, and DaShaun Foster is in. The roster and fanbase seemingly bought into his style of coaching in the offseason, but they were repaid with a 16-13 win over Hawaii, a home blowout loss to Indiana, a second-half collapse to LSU, and a lackluster home defense against Oregon, bringing more questions than answers.

With Ethan Garbers hobbled by an ankle injury, Foster inserted sophomore Jusyn Martin, who showed some spark against Penn State’s stout defense in Week 6. While it wasn’t enough to upset the heavy favorites, Martin’s performance offered a glimmer of hope for a team desperately seeking a turnaround.

Garbers returned for the Week 7 home bout vs. Minnesota, but it didn’t help, as the Bruins fell to 1-5 on the year and 0-4 in the Big Ten. Yet, Garbers harnessed his inner Troy Aikman, ripping Rutgers’ defense apart for 383 yards, four TDs, and the program’s first-ever Big Ten win in Week 8.

Can he replicate that performance week in and week out? No, but at least the offense showed some life once this season. Make that twice, as the Bruins went into Lincoln and stole a 27-20 victory away from Nerbaska as nearly nine-point dogs.

Actually, make it three times, as UCLA upset Iowa at home, 20-17. Each team turned the ball over three times, but the Bruins averaged nearly three more yards per carry (5.4 to 2.6). However, even with two more takeaways in Week 12, the Bruins couldn’t defeat Washington on the road, with the rushing attack non-existent and Garbers under constant fire in the backfield.

87) Michigan State Spartans (-4)

Jonathan Smith’s turnaround in Corvallis, Ore., took a few years, and Michigan State fans should prepare for the same in East Lansing, Mich. Camp star Aidan Chiles’ debut was anything but impressive, as he completed just 10 of 24 passes for 114 yards and two picks against FAU.

Chiles didn’t do much better in Week 2 against Maryland, throwing the same amount of TDs as INTs (3). It was still enough to eke out a 27-24 win, but he has to improve his decision-making or the Spartans will begin to lose games at a rapid pace.

Of course, PVAMU provided little resistance in Week 3, but that wasn’t the case against Boston College, Ohio State, and Oregon. Yet, the Spartans bounced back in a big way, defeating Iowa 32-20, largely thanks to kicker Jonathan Kim, who set the program record with six made field goals.

On paper, the Spartans should’ve beaten in-state rival Michigan, as they recorded more total yards, yards per play, and time of possession. Yet, a lost fumble and six penalties to the Wolverines’ donuts in both categories proved the difference in the 24-17 loss.

True Freshman Nick Marsh (5-78-1 receiving line) was one of the few MSU players to get up vs. Indiana, as is evident in the 47-10 final score. Week 12 wasn’t any better, with Illinois trotting to a 38-16 victory.

86) Eastern Michigan Eagles (-10)

Chris Creighton’s Eagles have predominately been an above-average MAC team, making six bowl games in the last eight years. The roster had several holes to fill in the offseason, and Creighton used the transfer portal to do so.

The Eagles could’ve — and should’ve — defeated UMass by more than 14 points, but a win is a win, especially to kick off the season. Their lack of execution carried over into Week 2 against Washington, as EMU went 3 of 14 on third down and gained just two yards per carry.

MORE: Week 12 College Football Players of the Week

Despite nearly doubling Jacksonville State’s time of possession in Week 3, the Eagles needed overtime to stave off the winless Gamecocks. Why? Because they scored 28 points in the first half but just three in the second, and were it not for the defense coming up clutch on third and fourth down, this writeup would’ve gone quite differently.

Even the wins against St. Francis and Kent State weren’t as easy as they should’ve been, making EMU’s 4-1 record feel a bit deceiving. Right on queue, Miami-Ohio came into Ypsilanti and smacked the Eagles 31-14 in Week 7. Then, the Eagles defeated Central Michigan 38-34 to become one of six MAC teams that are 2-1 in the conference.

However, Eastern Michigan earned the distinction of being Akron’s first MAC win of the season in Week 9, losing 25-21. While the Eagles could still finish with another positive winning percentage, they just can’t get over the hump, as shown by their 29-28 loss to Toledo in Week 10 and 35-10 loss to Ohio in Week 12.

85) UL Monroe Warhawks (-10)

The Warhawks defeated Jackson State 30-14 in Week 1, but the Tigers are an FCS program. However, the Warhawks knocked off UAB in Week 2, already matching their 2023 season win total (2-10).

True freshman Ahmad Hardy has been a revolution on the ground, rushing for 161 yards and two scores over the first two weeks. Texas caused a hiccup, but the Warhawks didn’t let the bashing deflate them, as they defeated Troy, James Madison, and Southern Miss in back-to-back-to-back weeks.

However, South Alabama, Marshall, and Texas State threw freezing cold water on the Warhawks’ hot season over the last three weeks. With a loss to Auburn and Louisiana still on the schedule, ULM’s road to the conference title game is all but over.

84) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (-5)

After 31 wins in three years with HC Jamey Chadwell and QB Grayson McCall at the helm, the Chanticleers fell to a middle-of-the-road team in Year 1 of the Tim Beck era. The 2024 season will be the real test, with McCall off to NC State and the majority of the defense gone.

QB Ethan Vasko struggled against Jacksonville State, but the Chanticleers cruised to a 55-27 victory, largely thanks to the rushing attack and the Gamecocks’ own less-than-ideal QB play. Coastal Carolina ran the ball 56 times for 297 yards and three scores, while the defense held JSU to 1 of 10 on third down and forced three turnovers.

William & Mary and Temple never really stood chances in Weeks 2 and 3, but Vasko put up two more subpar performances, calling into question Coastal’s ceiling this season. That ceiling appeared in Week 4 against Virginia, with the Chanticleers dropping their first game of the season — one they were never really in.

Facing Old Dominion was the remedy in Week 6, as the defense generated multiple turnovers and consistent pressure while the offense efficiently moved the ball down the field. And then James Madison, Louisiana, and Troy appeared with back-to-back-to-back victories, throwing the Chants back into obscurity with a QB dilemma.

While they are out of the Sun Belt race, Coastal Carolina brought App State down with them in Week 11, with Vasko efficiently moving the chains and RB Braydon Bennett powering in three rushing scores. They couldn’t enjoy a repeat performance against Marshall in Week 12, with the Thundering Herd winning 31-19.

83) Texas State Bobcats (+2)

GJ Kinne led the Bobcats to their best FBS season (8-5) in his first year at the helm, and Year 2 could be even more special. The Jayden de Laura fiasco resulted in T.J. Finley taking his talents to Western Kentucky, but Texas State has ended up with an upgrade in James Madison transfer Jordan McCloud.

Even with another impressive outing by McCloud in Week 5, the Bobcats were shocked by Sam Houston, who erased a 22-0 first-quarter deficit to win 40-39, leaving a black mark on Texas State’s résumé.

McCloud and Co. bounced back against a lowly Troy team in Week 6 and an inconsistent Arkansas State squad in Week 7. However, McCloud suffered an injury vs. conference favorite Louisiana in Week 10, and backup RJ Martinez couldn’t keep the good times rolling.

McCloud returned to bludgeon ULM and Southern Miss, keeping the Bobcats’ conference title hopes on life support.

82) UTSA Roadrunners (+13)

UTSA has been one of the top Group of Five teams in recent years, but HC Jeff Traylor will have to prove he can keep his squad afloat without longtime QB Frank Harris. Although Owen McCown isn’t the Roadrunner legend, he has flashed when on the field, including in Week 1 against a Kennesaw State defense that quietly has some all-conference talent.

However, neither he nor Eddie Lee Marburger had an answer against Texas State, resulting in a blowout loss. The Roadrunners then struggled to even stay on the same field as Texas in Week 3, but they were at least able to unleash their frustrations on Houston Christian in Week 4.

Twelve penalties. Three turnovers. Seven conversions on 22 third downs. One conversion on five fourth downs. Yeah, UTSA wasn’t leaving Greenville, North Carolina, with a win over East Carolina in Week 5. But more embarrassing was the Roadrunners’ loss to Rice in Week 7, causing a small section of the fanbase to question Traylor’s ability to produce results without Harris under center.

Traylor put any hot seat talks to bed — for at least a week — after the Roadrunners ran over FAU en route to a 38-24 victory. Why only a week? Because after cruising to a 35-7 lead over Tulsa in Week 9, UTSA lost 46-45, falling to 1-3 in the conference. But Traylor won’t go down without a fight, as his Roadrunners upset Memphis 44-36 in Week 10 and North Texas 48-27 in Week 12.

81) Arkansas State Red Wolves (–)

After going 2-10 and 3-9 to kick off the Butch Jones era, the Red Wolves played their way to six wins and a bowl appearance in 2023.

The Red Wolves were nearly upset by FCS-level Central Arkansas in Week 1 but finished on top, 34-31. QB Jalen Raynor was erratic in the win but was more stable against Tulsa in Week 2, leading Arkansas State to their first 2-0 start since 2008.

But the gravy train crashed and burned there, as the Red Wolves ran into a heavy-hearted Michigan team in Week 3 and a more-than-competent Iowa State squad in Week 4.

Yet, with a last-second win over South Alabama in Week 6, Arkansas State hopes to have kicked off a new streak heading into conference play. The streak lasted one week, with Texas State reminding the Red Wolves who are atop the Sun Belt with a 31-9 lead entering the fourth.

The same week Texas State lost, Arkansas State won (44-28 vs. Southern Miss), causing pandemonium in the Sun Belt. But Louisiana quelled the noise with a massive Week 11 victory. At least the Red Wolves booked their bowl ticket with a 27-20 win over Georgia State in Week 12.

80) Northern Illinois Huskies (–)

Northern Illinois’ complete dominance over Western Illinois in Week 1 set the stage for what would become one of the biggest upsets in school history, as they stunned Notre Dame 16-14 in Week 2.

The glee was short-lived, as the Huskies were also upset as nearly two-TD favorites over Buffalo in Week 4. Even with a bye week to prepare, NIU couldn’t handle the Bulls’ suffocating defense, averaging just 4.2 yards per play and facing 22 third downs.

NC State handed them their second straight loss in Week 5, but UMass offered a bounce-back spot — albeit a more difficult one than it should’ve been — before NIU loss bouts against MAC opponents Bowling Green, Toledo, and Ball State. In three games, the Huskies have gone from celebrated conference hero to longshot title threat.

While that remains the case, they knocked Western Michigan down a peg in Week 11, scoring their most points of the season (42), and handled Akron 29-16 in Week 12.

79) New Mexico Lobos (+19)

New Mexico fans are used to seeing their team at the bottom of power rankings, but it’s a new era with Bronco Mendenhall at the helm. While the Lobos blew a 31-14 lead, allowing 21 points in the fourth quarter, they impressed against Montana State, who has emerged as a powerhouse in the FCS.

It was a similar finish in Week 1, with New Mexico going band for band with a high-octane Arizona offense before stalling out in the second half. Then, the Lobos entered halftime down 17-13 against Auburn before the Tigers went on a 28-6 run in the second. See a trend?

Fresno State fixed the issue for New Mexico, running out to a first-quarter lead and never letting the score get close in Week 4. However, the Lobos flipped a switch from then on. Over the last three games, Mendenhall’s team has scored 50+ points on New Mexico State, Air Force, and Utah State, earning their first three wins of the year.

The momentum didn’t just come to a halt against Colorado State — it ceased to exist. The Lobos put up six points despite outproducing the Rams 453 to 334 in offensive yards. How? Four turnovers. Then, they dropped the gloves against Wyoming, going blow for blow before hitting the ground 49-45.

New Mexico may not win many games — although they did defeat San Diego State for the first time since 2008 in Week 11 — but QB Devon Dampier is one of the most fun to watch players in the country. Case in point: Dampier ran for 193 yards and three TDs to single-handedly upset Washington State in Week 12.

78) Buffalo Bulls (–)

First-year head coach Pete Lembo added Virginia offensive analyst Dave Patenaude to run the unit, and he leaned on his rushing attack to defeat a stout Lafayette team in Week 1. QB CJ Ogbonna isn’t an accurate passer, as he showed in Week 2 against Missouri, but he can move the ball through the air when needed, as he did against UMass in Week 3.

If the offense operates at a conference-average level, Buffalo could surprise some teams in the MAC due to its talent-laden defense, which is exactly what it did against Northern Illinois in Week 4, pulling off the 23-20 overtime victory as 12.5-point dogs.

Unfortunately, the offense hit the wall that was UConn’s defense in Week 5, resulting in a 16-0 halftime deficit the Bulls couldn’t crawl out of. But Ogbonna and Co. upset MAC favorite Toledo in Week 7, convincingly, too (30-15).

Yet, both Buffalo and Western Michigan forgot to play defense in Week 8, but WMU held possession last, winning the 48-41 shootout. The Bulls’ defense stayed at home when the offense traveled to Ohio in Week 9, resulting in a 47-16 loss. But Buffalo’s grip on the MAC is far from gone, as they improved to 4-2 in the conference after taking care of Akron and Ball State in the last two games.

77) UConn Huskies (–)

With Notre Dame practically a member of the ACC and UMass joining the MAC in 2025, UConn is the only true FBS Independent remaining. The Huskies have surpassed the four-win mark just twice in the last decade, but they’ve already tied that mark with Jim Mora at the helm.

A 50-7 loss to a middling Maryland team was far from the start UConn hoped for, but they unleashed their frustration on Merrimack, scoring 63 points before the fourth quarter even began. The Huskies were one quarter away from upsetting Duke, but the Blue Devils scored nine unanswered to upend the upset bit.

Facing FAU in Week 4 was the perfect remedy, as UConn drove to a 17-0 lead after the second quarter without needing to go past second gear. Week 5 saw much of the same, as the Huskies stuffed Buffalo en route to a 16-0 lead prior to halftime. Then, they literally snatched the game out of Temple’s hands in Week 6, improving to 4-2 on the year.

Despite a loss to Wake Forest in Week 8, UConn is officially going bowling after wins over  Rice and Georgia State — just its third time since 2011. After entering the fourth quarter down 23-10 to UAB, it seemed the Huskies would fall as 7.5-point favorites, but they scored 21 unanswered to keep their win streak alive.

76) North Texas Mean Green (-8)

The Mean Green lost QB Chandler Rogers, RB Ayo Adeyi, WR Ja’Mori Maclin, and 20+ players to the transfer portal after a 5-7 debut in the AAC.

However, the roster isn’t bereft of talent and showed as much in a high-flying 52-38 win over South Alabama that included a 28-point third quarter. Even with multiple picks, QB Chandler Morris kept his foot on the gas pedal against Stephen F. Austin in Week 2, posting 300+ yards and four TDs through the air.

But Texas Tech isn’t either of those programs and proved as much, rocketing out to a 44-7 lead midway through the second quarter. The Mean Green imitated the Red Raiders against Wyoming and Tulsa in the last two weeks, jumping out to substantial leads by halftime.

Although it came down to the wire, UNT held FAU off, displaying the late-game heroics needed to win big games. While those heroics came up short against Memphis (52-44), Tulane (45-37), and Army (14-3), the Mean Green showcased the ability to go toe to toe with elite competition.

However, they couldn’t keep the streak going against a high-flying UTSA squad in Week 12 (48-27), putting off bowl celebrations for at least another week.

75) USF Bulls (+18)

Former Josh Huepel assistant Alex Golesh hit the ground running in his first year at USF, leading the Bulls to their first winning season since 2018, and it wasn’t a fluke.

The Bulls came out of the gates on fire, torching Bethune-Cookman 48-3 in Week 1. They even went toe to toe with Alabama before losing steam in the fourth quarter. Southern Miss was kind enough to serve as USF’s stress reliever in Week 3, as the Bulls ran the ball 51 times for 369 yards (7.2 average) and five TDs en route to a 49-24 victory.

Yet another blueblood Power Four program (Miami) added to the Bulls’ loss column in Week 4, but back-to-back losses to Tulane and Memphis (QB Byrum Brown was out with an injury) had the Bulls on their heels.

They got off their haunches a bit with a 35-25 win over UAB and a drubbing of FAU, but at 4-5 following a never-close loss to Navy, Golesh’s squad needs to figure it out if they hope to make a bowl game. They seemingly did so against Charlotte, dropping a 59-burger on the 49ers, with 425 yards and six scores on the ground.

74) South Alabama Jaguars (+18)

HC Kane Wommack, starting QB Carter Bradley, leading rusher La’Damian Webb, and all-world receiver Caullin Lacy left this offseason, but the Jaguars battled their way to a 2-2 start in 2024.

Sophomore QB Gio Lopez shined in the opener, producing 432 yards and three TDs through the air while rushing for another 62 yards and a score. But he was one of the only Jaguars to show up offensively or defensively as North Texas triumphed 52-38. He missed Week 2 with a toe injury, and although backup Bishop Davenport wasn’t a steep drop-off, the Jaguars couldn’t leave Athens with a win over Ohio.

A get-right Week 3 matchup with Northwestern State was just what the doctor ordered, as South Alabama scored a ridiculous 87 points — the most by an FBS team since 1991. Then, USA came right back and embarrassed projected conference frontrunner App State, leading 28-0 at halftime.

The Week 5 loss to LSU shouldn’t have disparaged what the Jaguars had done this season, but the Week 6 loss to Arkansas State should. Yet, the Sun Belt Championship isn’t out of play, especially after impressive wins vs. Troy and UL-Monroe, but they’ll need to rattle off several more in a row to cement their place.

That didn’t happen in Week 10, as they lost a nail-biter (34-30) to East Division leader Georgia Southern. Yet, South Alabama still has a shot at the championship after defeating Louisiana on the road 24-22 — even if they were shut out in the second half.

73) San José State Spartans (-3)

SJSU needed a 21-0 run to put Sacramento State away in Week 1 and relied on its defense to round out a 17-7 slogfest against Air Force in Week 2. However, the Spartans enjoyed their first “easy” win against Kennesaw State in Week 3 before dropping their first game of the season in a Friday night shootout with Washington State.

The loss in Pulman, Washington, extended San Jose State’s road losing streak to Pac-12 opponent to 26. The defense clearly has some work to do, but Emmett Brown and Co. put up a valiant effort, coming up short by one two-point conversion.

Despite the loss, WR Nick Nash continued his eye-popping campaign with a 16-152-2 receiving line. After a week off, the Spartans were a bit rusty against Nevada, so much so that Brown was benched for Walker Eget before closing out the contest.

Then, in Week 7 against Colorado State, Eget came in for Brown once more, but it was already too late, resulting in their first conference loss of the season. If there is a game to complete just over 50% of your passes and throw two picks, it’s against Wyoming — Eget did just that, and the Spartans still escaped with a 24-14 victory.

However, Fresno State is no Wyoming, and Eget’s two Week 9 INTs sent him to the bench. Unfortunately, Brown didn’t play any better, forcing head coach Ken Niumatalolo to throw in junior Xavier Ward, who also threw a pick in the 33-10 loss. Eget wasn’t great in a 24-13 Week 11 win over Oregon State, but it was a solid team victory that secured bowl eligibility.

The Spartans actually gave Boise State fans a scare in the first half of Week 12 but proceeded to watch the Broncos double their score by the final whistle (41-21). Eget’s two INTs and lost fumble turned the tide, but he did throw for 446 yards and three TDs against a good defense.

72) California Bears (-3)

The Bears’ 31-13 Week 1 win over UC Davis easily could’ve gone the other way. The Aggies led in total yards (301 to 283), first downs (20 to 14), and time of possession (30:19 to 29:41), but three turnovers and going 0 for 4 on fourth downs cut their upset attempt at the knees.

Cal crossed their country for their Week 2 date with Auburn and came out victorious. The offense wasn’t spectacular, and the team committed 11 penalties. Yet, the defense suffocated the Tigers’ offense and did the same against San Diego State for their third straight win.

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The defense once again held its own against Florida State, but the offense was allergic to scoring, generating 410 total yards but putting up just nine points against FSU’s 14. Apparently, facing top 10-ranked Miami was the answer, as the Bears erupted to a 35-18 lead by the fourth quarter … only to squander it and allow the ‘Canes to pull off the 39-38 comeback.

Ott was out in Weeks 7 and 8, putting pressure on Mendoza to carry the offense. But 12 penalties for 110 yards kept the unit from capitalizing on the defense’s impressive outing vs. Pitt, and NC State scored 14 unanswered to eke out the 24-23 victory. 

Ott returned in Week 9 and struggled mightily against Oregon State, but Mendoza lit up the secondary, throwing for 350+ yards entering the fourth quarter. The defense did nearly nothing against Wake Forest, allowing 36 points, but Mendoza and Co. put up 46 of their own in one of the more impressive outings of the year. Yet, Syracuse’s 33 points were too much to overcome, especially with Mendoza throwing two INTs.

71) Utah Utes (-5)

Following back-to-back 10-4 campaigns, the Utes fell to 8-5 last year without the services of their starting QB and TE, but Cameron Rising and Brant Kuithe picked up where they left off, combining for four catches, 69 yards, and three TDs against Southern Utah.

The joy was short-lived, as Rising suffered an apparent throwing hand injury against Baylor in Week 2. The Utes still won and pulled off two more victories over Utah State and Oklahoma State with Isaac Wilson at the helm, but without Rising in the lineup, their ceiling is only so high — as seen in the Week 5 Pac-12 … I mean, Big 12 … loss to Arizona.

It appears the Grand Canyon State is Utah’s kryptonite, as Arizona State handed the Utes another L in Week 7. Rising was beyond rusty in his return, completing under 50% of his passes with zero TDs and two INTs before suffering a season-ending leg injury.

Following losses to Houston, BYU, and Colorado, the Utes’ haven’t won a game since September, and their Big 12 hopes are dead.

70) Western Michigan Broncos (-5)

The Broncos stepped into Camp Randall as 24.5-point underdogs but took Wisconsin the distance, falling 28-14 due to a fourth-quarter rally by the Badgers.

Turnovers (two) and third-down efficiency (3 of 10) were Western Michigan’s downfall, but it was as good of a loss as you can have, especially due to the secondary’s performance. The same can’t be said for a 56-0 outing against Ohio State. The only thing the Broncos could do with that result is accept it and forget it.

WMU bounced back against Bethune-Cookman, hitting 35 points by halftime. Yet, Hayden Wolff completed just over 50% of his passes at 4.3 yards per clip in a 27-20 loss to Marshall in Week 5. Jaden Nixon produced a 23-146-1 rushing line. Why not remain patient and continue to hit the defense where it hurts?

Wolff made me eat my words the last four weeks, throwing the same number of TDs as incompletions against Ball State (3), completing 68% of his passes for 191 yards and two scores against Akron, leading the Broncos to a massive 48-41 win over Buffalo, and rocking winless Kent State to stay undefeated in the conference.

However, he turned back into a pumpkin in Week 11 against Northern Illinois, completing just 14 of 27 passes for 166 yards, one TD, and two INTs. Following another abysmal outing against Bowling Green, the Broncos have fallen to 4-2 in conference play, conceding the top spot in the MAC to the Falcons.

69) Marshall Thundering Herd (+5)

Bob Pruett. Doc Holliday. Charles Huff. The Thundering Herd have had some excellent coaches patrolling their sidelines over the years, and Huff has a chance to cement his place next to all-time program greats.

Marshall tabbed Stone Earle as the starter this season, but with Braylon Braxton also on the depth chart, it’s difficult to see why, especially after the 31-14 loss to Virginia Tech. The Thundering Herd were never going to give Ohio State much of a battle, but at least it was 7-7 entering the second quarter.

Earle only threw for 177 yards against Western Michigan in Week 5, but his three TDs were enough to give the Herd their second win of the season. Braxton finally got the start in Week 6 and instantly became only the third Marshall QB in the last decade to run and throw for 100 yards in the same game.

With the dual-threat QB at the helm, the Thundering Herd thundered their way to a huge 52-37 victory over App State. Yet, despite owning a 23-3 lead heading into the final frame, Georgia Southern scored 21 unanswered for the implausible win last week. Then, RB A.J. Turner went ballistic (15-177-3 rushing line) against Georgia State, powering Marshall to its fourth win of the year.

Win Nos. 5, 6, and 7 came soon after, as Marshall put ULM, Southern Miss, and Coastal Carolina away to remain a favorite in the conference race.

68) Ohio Bobcats (+5)

Although Syracuse gave Parker Navarro fits through the air, the rushing attack, led by Anthony Tyus III — notably not Rickey Hunt Jr. — averaged 6.5 yards per clip en route to 255 and two scores. The defense even held the Orange to zero points in the first quarter before bending in the second and third.

All the Bobcats did against South Alabama in Week 2 was record 404 total yards in a 27-20 win. The defense bent but didn’t break, and as long as the ground game keeps churning, Ohio will be in most games this year.

Navarro was at least able to pop off in the first quarter against Morgan State, going 5 for 5 for 104 yards and a score before throwing multiple INTs. Kentucky proved to be a different beast in Week 4, cruising to a 17-0 lead at halftime. The Wildcats’ defense overwhelmed Navarro and Co., but the Bobcats’ own defensive unit held its own for the most part.

The Week 5 contest with Akron was a penciled-in dub, but Ohio had written it in Sharpie by the fourth quarter. The Bobcats continued their assault on the MAC in Week 7, delivering a crushing blow to Central Michigan with a 24-0 halftime lead. But Miami-Ohio won the Battle of the Bricks after flying out to a 16-0 advantage in the first half.

The loss clearly helped the Bobcats lock in, as they then took Buffalo, Kent State, and Eastern Michigan behind the woodshed over the last two weeks, joining the top of the MAC.

67) Georgia Southern Eagles (-9)

After being held scoreless in the first quarter, the Eagles scored 14+ points in each of the final three quarters against Boise State, pushing the Broncos to the brink. Yet, it was too little too late, as Georgia Southern fell 56-45. Still, it was an impressive outing by the offense — let’s just hope this was the defense’s floor.

Despite having no running game to speak of, QB JC French powered the Eagles to a tight 20-17 victory over Nevada in Week 2. Neither team scored in the final frame, but Georgia Southern’s defense held the Wolf Pack to just three points in the last three quarters.

Facing South Carolina State in Week 3 allowed the offense to return to their scoring ways, but Ole Miss knocked them down again in Week 4. The Eagles took on Georgia State in the inaugural Georgia Grown Bowl and won with ease, soaring to a 24-7 halftime lead with 318 total yards.

Marshall had Georgia Southern down 23-3 with the fourth quarter kicking off, but the Eagles did the unthinkable: score 21 unanswered for the comeback victory. They kept the momentum rolling against James Madison, extending their stranglehold on the conference at 3-0.

That is, until Old Dominion welcomed them to Norfolk, as the Monarchs dominated for a 47-19 victory, taking the top spot in the East … for one week. ODU fell in Week 10, while the Eagles stove off South Alabama 34-30 to secure their third straight bowl berth. Yet, they well to Troy 28-20 in Week 12, ceding the top spot in the East to Marshall with only two games left in the regular season.

66) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+6)

Kyle Monangai bullied Howard and Akron for 160+ yards, and although Virginia Tech was far more formidable in the trenches, the Scarlet Knights had little issue producing their third win of the season, starting 3-0 for the fourth straight year.

Little did they know that 4-0 was right around the corner, as Monangai picked up another 130+ yards against Washington in Week 5. But Nebraska is the best all-around team that Rutgers had faced this year, and QB Athan Kaliakmanis’ ineptitude under center (15 of 37 passing for 186 yards, one TD, and two INTs) doomed the Big Ten battle from the start.

Facing Wisconsin led to much of the same in Week 7. The Badgers were always going to be a tough matchup for Rutgers, but 42-7 tough? The loss seemingly knocked the Knights off of their rocker, as they fell to a previously 1-5 UCLA squad, allowing nearly 400 yards and four TDs through the air.

We knew the passing game was inept, but if the defense continues to fall flat, Rutgers is dead in the Big Ten waters. Case in point: Week 9’s contest at USC. The Trojans scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters, punting the ball just three times in a dominant 42-20 win. At least they played spoiler to Minnesota’s longshot conference championship hopes in Week 11 (26-19) and sent Maryland to the Big Ten gulag (31-17).

65) Miami RedHawks (+6)

After losing to Northwestern, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame, Miami finally got in the win column vs. UMass, albeit barely (23-20 in OT). The RedHawks’ defense has played well, but QB Brett Gabbert has looked nothing like his former self, and outside of a 66-yard run by Keyon Mozee, the running game has been virtually nonexistent.

With another loss to Toledo, Miami was on the way to its worst season since the first two years of head coach Chuck Martin’s tenure (2014-15). However, the RedHawks got back in the win column against Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Central Michigan, Ball State, and Kent State — the conference race is far from over with three teams at 5-1.

64) USC Trojans (+3)

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s remodeled unit showed up in Week 1, holding LSU to 20 points and a 3.2-yard average on the ground outside of a 39-yard run. Miller Moss didn’t rip Utah State’s secondary apart in Week 2, but he didn’t have to, with the defense conceding zero points and the rushing attack averaging 7.2 yards per carry.

However, Michigan gave Moss and the Trojans their “Welcome to the Big Ten” moment in a 27-24 Week 4 win. The defense held up well enough, but Kalel Mullings wore the unit down and ultimately broke them down the stretch, finishing with a 17-159-2 line. Wisconsin scored 21 points in the first half, but Lynn had their number by the second, leading to a 38-21 home victory.

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However, it may be time to start questioning Lincoln Riley’s play-calling and development of QBs, as he had no answers against Minnesota through the air, couldn’t put the game away against Penn State, and fell apart in the fourth quarter against Maryland, leading to a three-game losing streak.

Rutgers, who was also on a three-game skid, was the sacrificial lamb in Week 9, as USC scored on all four of their first-half possessions, while the injury-depleted defense shut the Scarlet Knights out for a 42-20 victory. But Moss’ three INTs vs. Washington were too much to overcome, placing the Trojans toward the bottom of the conference at 2-5 in league play.

Yet, Jayden Maiava stepped in and instantly led the Trojans to a 28-20 victory over Nebraska to bring them within a game of bowl eligibility when it seemed all was lost.

63) North Carolina Tar Heels (+1)

Despite Drake Maye’s obvious talent, the Tar Heels underperformed in his tenure, going 17-10 record with two bowl losses. Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson took the reigns, but he suffered a broken leg in Week 1 and is out for the season, thrusting sophomore Conner Harrell into the starting lineup.

He secured the win over Minnesota with a 32-yard completion to set up the game-winning field goal and played well enough to put up 38 points on Charlotte. RB Omarion Hampton and TE Bryson Nesbit suffered injuries in the contest, but both returned in a Week 3 win over North Carolina Central.

However, the game was too close for comfort, and after a scoreless first quarter, Harrell was pulled in favor of Jacolby Criswell, pointing to further QB concerns. Criswell flashed at times against James Madison, but the Dukes blitzed the Tar Heels in every phase, scoring 39 points midway through the second quarter.

The defense made it a point to show up in Week 5, holding Duke to zero points in the first half. Yet, Criswell’s inconsistencies were once again apparent, and the defense faltered in the second half, allowing Duke to pull off a 21-20 victory.

The Tar Heels kept it close against Pitt but let the Panthers go on a 10-0 run in the final frame to begin the year 0-2 in conference play. Make that 0-3, as they allowed Georgia Tech to literally run away with the victory in Week 7.

It seemed Mack Brown’s time was up in Chapel Hill, but the roster has played hard for their coach over the last three weeks, surprising Virginia, kicking Florida State while they were down, and knocking off Wake Forest.

62) NC State Wolfpack (+1)

The quarterback room hasn’t exactly been the modicum of consistency for the Wolfpack, but Dave Doeren hoped he rectified the issue by bringing in Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall.

It took until the fourth quarter for the offense to begin humming against Western Carolina, and it mostly had to do so on the backs of RB Jordan Waters and WR KC Concepcion.

We chalked McCall’s play up to rust in Week 1, but Tennessee stole his lunch money in Week 2 and highlighted the wide gap between the two programs. However, he suffered an undisclosed injury against Louisiana Tech, forcing true freshman CJ Bailey into the lineup. The lights weren’t too bright, as Bailey led the Wolfpack to a 30-20 victory.

Yet, the intensity reached a tipping point against Clemson, as the Tigers roared out to a 59-35 victory — 21 of the Wolfpack’s points came in garbage time. A Week 5 win over Northern Illinois kept the train on the tracks, but Wake Forest came to town and stole NC State’s first conference victory this year.

ACC play is here, and Doeren’s squad is anything but stable, dropping their third straight in the conference against Syracuse in Week 7. But they did just enough to leave California with a 24-23 victory in Week 8 before snuffing out Stanford in Week 10. Just like that, the Wolfpack are 2-3 in the conference. And now they are 2-4 after Duke came to town and left with a 29-19 victory.

61) Washington Huskies (+1)

QB Will Rogers and the passing game weren’t all that imposing against Weber State in Week 1, but they didn’t need to be with RB Jonah Coleman running rampant. The roles were flipped in Week 2, as Rogers threw four TDs against five incompletions vs. Eastern Michigan, highlighting the Huskies’ ability to flow with the game script offensively.

However, they ran into the buzzsaw that is the 2024 Washington State Cougars, losing the Apple Cup for just the second time since 2013. Rogers and Co. rebounded against Northwestern in Week 4 but picked up another loss against Rutgers in Week 5.

Washington shook it off and enacted revenge on the team that defeated them in the national championship: Michigan. It was a hard-fought victory, and while the Huskies have few players who played in that game still on the roster, it still meant something to the fans, as they stormed the field after the final whistle.

The celebrations were short-lived, as Iowa forced two turnovers and held the Huskies to just 5.3 yards per pass, suffocating the offense in Week 7.

There were few breaths of air against Indiana in Week 9, with Hoosiers CB D’Angelo Ponds picking Rogers off twice and returning one for a TD. But the Huskies were able to get back into the win column on the back of three INTs by the defense against USC in Week 10.

Unsurprisingly, Week 11 flipped the script, with Penn State crushing the Huskies’ confidence with a 35-6 victory. They were able to secure bowl eligibility in Week 12, shutting the Bruins out in the book-ending quarters for the 24-13 victory. However, it did take the insertion of freshman QB Demond Williams Jr. to turn the tide, as Rogers tossed two picks while averaging 5.5 ypa.

60) Liberty Flames (-5)

Liberty marched to an undefeated regular season and the CUSA title in its conference debut. With QB Kaidon Salter and RB Quinton Cooley back and a soft schedule on deck, the Flames are primed for a repeat performance in 2024.

Liberty coasted to a 41-24 win over Campbell, broke a sweat in a 30-24 victory on the road against New Mexico State, never confidently put the game away against UTEP in Week 3, nearly lost against East Carolina in Week 4, and needed overtime to put FIU away in Week 7.

Neither the offense nor the defense has been as dominant as they were in 2023, which is something to keep an eye on moving forward. The Week 5 date at App State appeared to be the Flames’ toughest on-paper matchup, but the game was canceled due to Hurricane Helene and was not rescheduled.

A place in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff was within reach, but Liberty’s middling play bit them in the butt against a previously winless Kennesaw State program on Wednesday night.

Not only did the Flames lose 27-24, effectively forfeiting their CFP bid, but they will also go down in history as the Owls’ first-ever victory over an FBS team. Then, Jacksonville State ran all over them, with RB Tre Stewart posting a 27-232-4 rushing line.

Liberty still has a shot at the CUSA title and a bowl game, but they’re a shadow of their 2023 selves. That was no clearer than in the 35-34 overtime win over … wait for it … UMass. 

59) Virginia Cavaliers (-5)

Tony Elliott has won exactly three games in each of his two seasons as Virginia’s leading man, but he’s already surpassed that win total in 2024.

The Cavaliers kicked the year off with a 34-13 win over a talented Richmond team and narrowly defeated Wake Forest 31-30 in Week 2. No one got going on the ground, and QB Anthony Colandrea threw two picks, but the Cavs scored 10 unanswered fourth-quarter points to seal the victory.

The script was flipped in Week 3, as Maryland scored 10 unanswered to escape with the win. Colandrea threw another two picks and lost a fumble to boot, tying the team’s hands behind its back. He played much cleaner games against Coastal Carolina and Boston College — albeit less explosive — translating to back-to-back victories.

Despite 449 yards of offense, Colandrea and Co. weren’t able to finish drives against Louisville, causing them to tuck their tail between their legs in a 24-20 Week 7 defeat.

Former Clemson assistant Elliott couldn’t knock off his former employer, but the Cavaliers at least kept the score semi-close in Week 8 (48-31). However, Virginia couldn’t do anything against North Carolina in Week 9, despite being 3.5-point home favorites.

Colandrea was benched for Tony Musket, but the defense didn’t help matter either, as the 41-14 final score dictates. Colandrea was reinserted for a massive 24-19 upset over Pitt, and the Cavs are now just one win away from a bowl game. However, the road isn’t easy, with Notre Dame (35-14 L), SMU, and Virginia Tech in their way. 

58) Boston College Eagles (-5)

Boston College seemed to be trending up after its first bowl win since 2016, but a bit of a reset is in order with HC Jeff Hafley leaving for the Green Bay Packers’ DC job and Bill O’Brien taking his first collegiate HC position since his time at Penn State.

A standalone Labor Day win over FSU highlighted the Eagles’ revamped roster and new leadership, and they kept the good times going with pure domination over Duquesne in Week 2. Despite a highlight-reel TD, Castellanos and Co. couldn’t do much against Missouri’s new-look defense, failing to score in the second half.

Michigan State also gave them fits in Week 4, but the Eagles outscored the Spartans 17-6 to complete the home defense and roll to 3-1 on the year. Even with QB Thomas Castellanos out with an injury against Western Kentucky in Week 5, BC was able to stay in the win column, narrowly defeating the Hilltoppers 21-20.

Then, the magic ran out. The Eagles forgot there was a second half of football games, allowing Virginia to go on an 18-0 run for the Week 6 win, conceding 42 points against Virginia Tech in Week 7, and blowing a 20-7 halftime lead vs. Louisville in Week 9.

Did BC reach its ceiling early in the season? Likely yes, but they were able to survive a shootout with Syracuse in Week 11, with Grayson James coming in for Castellanos and finishing the 37-31 victory. James couldn’t keep the magic going against undefeated SMU, but he at least helped keep the contest semi-close (38-28).

57) Nebraska Cornhuskers (-12)

Blitzing UTEP and rival Colorado was a solid two-game introduction for true freshman QB Dylan Raiola, and the good times kept going against Northern Iowa. But the Patrick Mahomes clone got his first taste of the Big Ten against Illinois this week, leading to the Cornhuskers’ first loss of the season.

It was a back-and-forth bout that required overtime, but by that point, the Illini had the offensive line’s number and sacked Raiola twice on Nebraska’s last-ditch effort. The game could’ve gone very differently if starting kicker Tristan Alvano had been healthy, as freshman backup John Hohl missed the potentially game-winning 39-yard field goal with under three minutes remaining in the contest.

Despite going 1 for 8 on third downs and missing three field goals against Purdue in Week 5, the Huskers were still able to escape with a 28-10 road victory. Kicking woes were irrelevant in Week 6, as Rutgers rarely allowed Nebraska to sniff scoring range.

Raiola completed less than 50% of his passes and threw a pick, but the defense snatched two of their own. The 14-7 score looks ugly, but it shows the team can win in grind-it-out Big Ten matchups.

But Indiana, Ohio State, and UCLA (albeit on the opposite end of the spectrum) aren’t your typical Big Ten opponents, as the Huskers are now 2-4 in conference play. Make it 2-5, as even the addition of Dana Holgerson as OC couldn’t fix the offense, with Raiola averaging 5.0 ypa for one TD and two INTs against USC.

56) Colorado State Rams (+5)

The Rams are on a six-year stretch without a winning season, and it could become seven.

We knew the Rams would lose in Week 1 against Texas; we just didn’t know it would be so one-sided. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi completed just 10 of 18 passes for 59 yards and a pick — not great. He didn’t light up Northern Colorado in Week 2 either, and although the Rams won, two-time 1,000-yard Tory Horton has to be questioning his decision to turn down six-figure NIL deals to return to Fort Collins.

An embarrassing loss to in-state rival Colorado only exacerbated matters, especially after BFN and Horton took shots at the Buffaloes prior to kickoff. Winning cures many issues, but the Week 4 victory over UTEP was likely tighter than the Rams expected, with Fowler-Nicolosi throwing for under 200 yards with another pick.

The Rams then showed their mettle in a 39-31 double-overtime loss to Oregon State, a 31-21 win over San Jose State, a 21-13 victory over Air Force, a 17-6 home defense against New Mexico, a 38-21 brutalizing of Nevada, and a 24-10 domination of Wyoming, leaving them at 7-3 on the season and 5-0 in the Mountain West.

55) Bowling Green Falcons (+5)

HC Scot Loeffler’s offense has the chance to be the best in the MAC this season, and the unit gave Penn State (Week 2) and Texas A&M (Week 4) all they could handle. Although both teams put any upset talks to bed by the fourth quarter, the Falcons punched above their weight class for the majority of the contests.

Well, Bowling Green played down to Old Dominion and lost 30-27 as nearly 12-point home favorites. And in Week 6, the Falcons let Akron keep it a game until the final two minutes before imploding against Northern Illinois in Week 7. They at least stopped the bleeding against Kent State, completely shifted the narrative by thumping Toledo, escaped Mount Pleasant, Mich., with a W over Central Michigan, and stole the top spot in the league from Western Michigan.

Bowling Green is 6-4 and 5-1 in the conference — the MAC is theirs for the taking.

54) Toledo Rockets (+5)

Toledo may have lost Dequan Finn to Baylor, but Tucker Gleason has been more than serviceable as his replacement. While the first two wins of the season came against Duquesne and UMass, the third was over SEC member Mississippi State. The running game hasn’t been consistent, but if it can find some semblance of success, the Rockets will continue their path to the moon.

That path hit a hitch in Week 4, as Western Kentucky’s Devonte’ Mathews snatched two game-sealing INTs. Regardless of the result, Toledo was a play or two away from a road win over a CUSA contender.

Gleason threw another two picks against Miami-Ohio, but the rest of the squad took up the slack, leading to the Rockets’ fifth 4-1 start in HC Jason Candle’s nine seasons. After another poor start against Buffalo, Candle saw enough and benched Gleason for John Alan Richter, who finished with an impressive 16 of 23 for 227 yards, two TDs, and zero turnovers.

It wasn’t enough, however, as the Rockets were shut out in the first half, and the Bulls ran all over the defense. It was a struggle against Northern Illinois as well, but Toledo was able to hang on for the 13-6 dub, pushing them to 5-2 overall.

Bowling Green said, “Not so fast,” dusting Toledo 41-26, dropping the program to 2-2 in the conference. On paper, the rest of the schedule isn’t too difficult, with home bouts vs. Central Michigan (37-10 dub) and Ohio book-ended by road matchups with Eastern Michigan (29-28 win) and Akron.

53) Florida Gators (+3)

The offensive line was roasted by Miami’s defensive line in Week 1, and the offensive scheme didn’t help, but Graham Mertz didn’t elevate the talent around him. He was injured right before the fourth quarter, allowing five-star true freshman DJ Lagway to receive valuable reps.

With Mertz out with a concussion, Lagway got the start in Week 2 and dropped 400+ yards on Samford’s secondary en route to the Gators’ first win of 2024. Yet, Napier opted to revert back to Mertz, who led zero first-half scoring drives against Texas A&M in Week 3. The ground game was even worse, generating just seven yards on eight carries by the end of the second quarter.

Somehow, some way, the Gators got back into the win column against Mississippi State and UCF. However, it was how they did it that was most surprising, as Mertz was nearly flawless in both contests after looking like a subpar Power Five QB earlier in the year.

A road trip to Tennessee ended in an overtime loss, but Florida has shown a fight we didn’t know they had, culminating in a 48-20 thrashing of Kentucky on the back of freshman RB Jadan Baugh’s school-record-tying five rushing TDs. However, after losing Lagway early vs. Georgia, the Gators had little chance of pulling off the upset, losing 34-20.

On to their third QB of the year in Week 11, Florida couldn’t even stay on the field with Texas, scoring zero points while allowing 35 by halftime. However, Lagway returned in a big way in Week 12, crushing LSU’s hopes and dreams with a 27-16 victory, bringing the Gators one win away from bowl eligibility.

52) Wisconsin Badgers (-1)

Did Tyler Van Dyke flame out in Miami? Yes. Is he an above-average QB? Maybe, but not with Phil Longo calling the plays. The offense is stale with Longo at the helm, and while the Badgers will “air it out,” the ball isn’t moving that far.

It worked against Western Michigan and South Dakota through the first two weeks, largely due to the ground game and defense, but can TVD keep up with higher-octane offenses?

We didn’t get to see it for long against Alabama in Week 3, and we may not see it all, as Van Dyke injured his leg, was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game, and appeared on the sidelines with crutches and a brace around his right knee.

Now 2-2 after losing 38-21 to USC, the Badgers are in danger of free-falling with backup QB Braedyn Locke under center. Luckily, Purdue already hit rock bottom, giving Wisconsin an easy win in Week 6, even though Locke threw two picks early on.

The Badgers then gave Rutgers its second loss of the year and Northwestern its fourth, outplaying both teams in every phase. Wisconsin was 5-2, but with Locke at the helm, it was difficult to see many more wins with Penn State (28-13 L), Iowa (42-10 L), Oregon (16-13 L), and Nebraska on deck.

51) Navy Midshipmen (-8)

A season finale loss to Army dropped Navy to 5-7 overall and out of bowl contention in Brian Newberry’s first year. They should see more success with former Mercer head coach Drew Cronic coming over to call the plays after leading the Bears to their first-ever FCS playoff appearance.

Dropping Bucknell in Week 1 was expected, and Temple didn’t cause the Midshipmen to sweat much In Week 2. However, by far their biggest win came against Memphis in Week 4, a program that seemed primed to earn the Group of Five’s spot in the College Football Playoff.

Unsurprisingly, UAB’s, Air Force’s, and Charlotte’s defensive lines didn’t stand much of a chance in the next three weeks, with QB Blake Horvath playing his way into the Heisman discussion.

However, Notre Dame broke Navy with a 51-14 victory in Week 9, as the Midshipmen fell to Rice despite being 13.5-point road favorites. The conference title was still within reach, especially after they trounced USF in Week 11. But when Horvath left early in the Week 12 matchup against ranked Tulane, the Midshipmen’s AAC hopes went with him.

50) Jacksonville State Gamecocks (+2)

After losing three straight, Rich Rodriguez’s Gamecocks finally got a dub. The defense that was non-existent, allowing 37+ points and 375+ yards in each of the first three contests, bounced back against Southern Miss.

QB Tyler Huff continued his linear progression, completing 10 of his first 12 passes for 197 yards and a score, adding another TD on the ground before halftime.

That matchup proved to be a precursor to the Gamecocks’ utter domination of Kennesaw State, New Mexico State, and Middle Tennessee. They generated eight scores on the ground in Week 6, 530 yards of total offense in Week 7, 575 yards in Week 9, and 363 yards and four scores in Week 10 against Liberty, winning their fifth straight game and reverting to the team we believed they could be entering the year.

They needed a Hail Mary in regulation and overtime to put Lousiana Tech to bed in Week 11 (44-37) and 34 points against FIU, but the Gamecocks are going bowling for the second straight year — their first two at the FBS level.

49) Baylor Bears (+8)

The 2024 season could be Dave Aranda’s last in Waco if he doesn’t tilt the scales back in the Bears’ favor. Since going 12-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl in 2021, Baylor has gone 9-16.

Toledo transfer Dequan Finn tossed a pair of TDs and INTs against Tarleton State, but if there was a game to be reckless with the ball, it was that one, as the Bears left their home stadium with a 45-3 dub.

Ball security issues were once again an issue in Week 2 vs. Utah, as Finn fumbled twice. Finn suffered an injury in the contest, prompting Sawyer Robertson to take the reigns in a 31-3 Week 3 win over Air Force. Robertson accounted for another three TDs with no turnovers against Colorado, but the Buffs took care of business in overtime, resulting in Baylor’s 38-31 loss.

Then, BYU made the Bears look like cubs in Week 5, building a 31-14 lead by halftime. Following a blowout loss to Iowa State, the Bears are already 0-4 in the Big 12 — if they don’t turn it around, fans will begin calling for Aranda’s job.

Aranda must have read that sentence because Baylor defeated Texas Tech 59-35 in Week 8, Oklahoma State 38-28 in Week 9, TCU 37-34 in Week 10, and West Virginia 49-35 in Week 12, silencing hot-seat talks and securing bowl eligibility.

48) Sam Houston Bearkats (+2)

Sam Houston had a rude awakening in the FBS last season, going 3-9. But a closer look shows reason for optimism. The Bearkats ended the year strong, winning three of their final four games. Additionally, they dropped six contests by 10 points or less, including a five-point defeat to 2023 CUSA champ Liberty and an overtime loss to Jacksonville State.

The offense just needs to score more than 20 points per game (second lowest in the CUSA last season). They did just that against a veteran-laden Rice defense, winning 34-14. Unfortunately, the Bearkats couldn’t pick up where they left off in Week 2 as they ran into the bulldozer that is UCF’s rushing game.

Hawaii, New Mexico State, and UTEP were sights for sore eyes in three of the next four games, as the Bearkats practically walked their way to victories. And although they got walked in the first quarter of Week 5 by Texas State (22-0), the Bearkats raced all the way back, winning 40-39 in epic fashion.

However, after starting QB Hunter Watson had his team down 17-14 against Western Kentucky in Week 8, an injury knocked him out the rest of the game. The result? A 31-14 defeat, as backup Jase Bauer was unable to string together scoring drives — although kicker Christian Pavon missed two field goals in the second half.

Pavon missed another two against FIU, but both sides of the ball did just enough to win in Week 9 (10-7), Week 10 (9-3 vs. Louisiana Tech), and Week 12 (23-17 vs. Kennesaw State), improving to 8-2 and becoming bowl-eligible in their first season following a two-year transition to the FBS.

47) Arkansas Razorbacks (–)

Since reaching a 9-4 record in 2021, Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks have steadily declined. But with Boise State’s Taylen Green and Utah’s Ja’Quinden Jackson in the backfield, the arrow appeared to be pointing up.

New OC Bobby Petrino hand-picked both players, and they generated 138 points through three weeks. The Razorbacks couldn’t hang on to upset AP Poll No. 16-ranked Oklahoma State in double overtime and were going play for play with UAB before locking in during the second half.

The defense feasted on Auburn true freshman QB Hank Brown in Week 4, snagging three INTs before adding one more from Payton Thorne. However, Texas A&M brought them right back to the loser’s bracket in Week 5, holding Jackson to 3.7 yards per carry and turning Green over three times (two fumbles and one pick).

With the Razorbacks nursing a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter over Tennessee, Green suffered a nerve-wracking blow to his lower body and left the game. Freshman Malachi Singleton stepped onto the field and immediately finished off the drive with a rushing TD, which was all it took to upset the Vols.

Arkansas couldn’t make it an upset streak, as LSU came into Fayetteville and force-fed the Razorbacks’ defense 34 points. Yet, they flipped the script in Week 9, trouncing Mississippi State 58-25 on the road. The jubilation didn’t last long, with Ole Miss leading 35-10 by halftime in Week 10. Next? A skintight 20-10 loss to Texas that saw Green sacked six times.

46) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (-13)

Although the Hilltoppers weren’t expected to defeat the Crimson Tide in Week 1, they also weren’t expected to score zero points and give up 63. The offense continued to look mediocre against Eastern Kentucky in Week 2 but took home the dub.

However, once Texas State transfer T.J. Finley went down with an injury and Caden Veltkamp stepped onto the field, the offense looked like a completely different unit.

He threw two picks and nearly fumbled the game away against Toledo, but DB Devonte’ Mathews saved the win with two last-minute INTs. Then, even with Boston College on its backup QB last week, WKU couldn’t maintain its 20-7 lead, allowing two TDs in the fourth quarter.

However, UTEP offered its services as a rebound squad, giving the Hilltoppers a rejuvenating victory in Week 7. So rejuvenating, in fact, that they were able to use it as a springboard to defeat Sam Houston 31-14 on the road — although the Bearkats weren’t able to score at of the half after starting QB Hunter Watson left the game with an injury.

WKU produced the same final score against Kennesaw State and walloped New Mexico State, trotting to 5-0 in the conference. But they were caught with their pants down against Louisiana Tech, as the Hilltoppers fell 12-7 in one of the biggest upsets of the week.

45) James Madison Dukes (+4)

Curt Cignetti and the Dukes blitzed the FBS in their first two seasons, going 19-5. And while the team is nearly unrecognizable after Cignetti took the Indiana job, James Madison is still in good hands with Bob Chesney at the helm.

Chesney inherited sophomore QB Alonza Barnett III, who beat out Washington transfer Dylan Morris for the first-team role. He was inconsistent as a passer vs. Charlotte, but he also showcased his dual-threat ability with 89 yards on nine carries.

A close win over Gardner-Webb (13-6) was unexpected, given JMU was a 35.5-point favorite. But perhaps more unexpected was the Dukes’ explosion against North Carolina, dropping a school-record 70 points by the final whistle. Then, they put up 15 in the first 10 minutes against Ball State.

However, one of the biggest surprise teams of the year — ULM — deleted JMU’s perfect record, holding on for a 21-19 win. The Dukes’ CFP odds may be zero now, and although they manhandled Coastal Carolina 39-7 last week, they fell 28-14 to Georgia Southern, digging a 1-2 hole in the conference.

The Dukes improved to 4-2 with wins over Southern Miss, Georgia State, and Old Dominion. With Marshall still on tap, they largely control their destiny in the conference.

44) Virginia Tech Hokies (+4)

Virginia Tech turned up the heat down the stretch last season, winning five of their last seven games to finish with a 7-6 record. But the Hokies lost their momentum over the offseason, falling to Vanderbilt 34-27 in overtime in Week 1. The rushing attack, led by QB Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten, could not find its footing.

They bounced back with wins against Marshall and Old Dominion before finishing their non-conference schedule with a home loss to Rutgers last week. Against Miami and his cousin, QB Cam Ward, Drones took the contest to the distance, but the Hokies couldn’t hang on to their 27-17 lead midway through the third quarter.

MORE: 2024 Strength of Schedule For All 134 FBS Teams

Outside of Week 1, Drones wasn’t been able to surpass 190 yards passing in any game — until Week 6. Sure, 201 isn’t all that much more, but it was enough to jaunt to a 31-7 victory over Stanford, marking Tech’s first conference win of the year.

And although Drones was once again held to under 190 yards (161) against Boston College and Georgia Tech (128), it didn’t matter, with Tuten totaling nearly 300 yards with four TDs vs. the Eagles and Drones throwing, catching, and running for a score against the Yellow Jackets.

However, both players missed Week 10’s matchup with Syracuse, resulting in a 38-31 loss for the Hokies. Still, they need just one win to make a bowl game in 2024. That didn’t come in Week 11, with Clemson handing them a 24-14 L.

43) Cincinnati Bearcats (-4)

Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby was a revelation in the first two weeks, erupting vs. Towson and Pittsburgh through the air. But due to poor defense and play-calling in the second half, the Bearcats lost their first game against the Panthers.

Sorsby came back down to Earth some against a stout Miami (OH) defense, but Cincinnati got back into the win column. Yet, the entire team found its rhythm in Week 4, checking every box in a dominant win over Big 12 opponent Houston.

Sorsby threw another 400+ yards and four TDs against Texas Tech, but the Bearcats fell just short, missing a 51-yard field goal that would’ve made the score 44-44 and sent the game to overtime.

Cincy didn’t dwell on the loss, serving UCF a bright green bowl of Skyline Chili in Orlando and leaving with a 19-13 victory. The Bearcats then scored 24 points in the first two quarters against Arizona State, and although they didn’t score the rest of the way, they didn’t need to, winning 24-14.

But after a 34-24 loss to Colorado, Cincy is one of four Big 12 teams with a 3-2 conference record. With West Virginia (31-24 L), Iowa State (34-17 L), Kansas State, and TCU still on the schedule, how many wins can the Bearcats actually pull off?

42) Memphis Tigers (+4)

Shutting North Alabama out 40-0 in the season opener and dusting Troy in Week 2 was just another step toward Memphis proving it’s the cream of the AAC crop. While Florida State is a shell of its former self, it’s still a well-resourced Power Four program — one that Memphis knocked off in Week 3.

Yet, all good things must come to an end — the Tigers’ ending just came earlier than expected. The defense couldn’t do anything to stop Navy QB Blake Horvath in Week 4, as he accounted for 403 total yards and six TDs.

Memphis’ path to the College Football Playoff now hinges on not only running the table — which began with convincing wins over MTSU, a Byrum Brown-less USF, a stout North Texas squad, and Charlotte (which saw QB Seth Henigan pass Brady white for most TDs passes in Memphis History, 91) — but also hoping for a series of upsets across the Group of Five contenders.

Well, the Tigers were upset themselves against UTSA in Week 10, losing by the same amount they were favored by: eight points (44-36). Not only are their CFP hopes crushed, but they are now two games out of conference title contention. Wins over Rice and UAB were nice, but they’ll need Tulane and/or Army to fall flat the rest of the way to make the AAC Championship.

41) TCU Horned Frogs (+3)

TCU was in the national championship just two years ago, but that fact is already a distant memory. Considering the 65-7 final score against Georgia, it’s probably best for the Horned Frogs. Regardless, QB Josh Hoover flashed in his redshirt freshman season and has been even better so far in 2024.

The Stanford game wasn’t pretty, with the Horned Frogs losing two fumbles and committing seven penalties for 100 yards, including three straight 15-yard personal fouls in the first quarter.

But TCU’s lack of a dominant ground game was apparent in a heartbreaking loss to UCF in Week 3 and again in a 66-42 shootout loss to rival SMU. Still, even with three giveaways and zero takeaways, the Horned Frogs were able to defeat Kansas on their own turf. The arrow seemed to be pointing up … until Week 6. Another four turnovers dug a grave the program couldn’t crawl out of.

After beating a directionless Utah team and Texas Tech, the Horned Frogs fell to Baylor, 37-34. They got back into the win column against Oklahoma State in Week 10, and while the conference title is out of reach, at least they’ll go bowling in 2024.

40) Minnesota Golden Gophers (+2)

P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota tenure has been defined by “culture.” However, culture can only take you so far, especially with four more teams joining the conference. Fleck knows this and put his chips on former New Hampshire star Max Bosmer to provide stability at QB.

He played fine enough against North Carolina, but the Golden Gophers desperately missed one-man wrecking crew Darius Taylor, with Marcus Major averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. The defense did all it could to contain Doak Walker Award finalist Omarion Hampton, but if the offense doesn’t get back on track, their efforts will be null and void.

Get-right games against Richmond and Nevada renewed confidence, as the Golden Gophers put up 75 unanswered points across both contests. However, Iowa and Michigan undid the positive momentum over the next two weeks.

The Golden Gophers got back in the win column in a big way, upsetting USC 24-17, sweeping southern California with a 24-17 victory over UCLA in Week 7, and crushing Maryland in Week 9.

However, after a loss to Rutgers in Week 11, the Golden Gophers are out of Big Ten contention and will shift their focus to upsetting one-loss Penn State next week.

39) Michigan Wolverines (+2)

The Wolverines will go as far as their QB situation takes them. Davis Warren did not look like the answer under center, and after throwing three INTs against Arkansas State in Week 3, he was benched in favor of Alex Orji. The junior finished out the win, upset USC in Week 4, and had little issue with Minnesota in Week 5. Then Week 6 happened.

After completing just 3 of 7 passes for 15 yards, Orji was subbed out for sixth-year QB Jack Tuttle. And while Tuttle threw a TD, he also tossed the game-sealing INT. Week 8 provided another loss, with Illinois forcing three turnovers and allowing the Wolverines to score just seven points.

In the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, Michigan turned back to Warren under center, although Orji played a key rushing role. The result was a tight 24-17 victory that ended in an on-field brawl with more of a fight than the Wolverines gave Oregon in Week 10 (38-17 loss).

Still, even with a championship-caliber defense, Michigan is only playing for a bowl game in 2024, which remains elusive, as the Wolverines couldn’t upset Indiana in Week 11.

38) West Virginia Mountaineers (-3)

Head coach Neal Brown only had one winning season (6-4 in 2020) entering 2023, and his seat was heating up. A 9-4 campaign and a Mayo Bowl victory later, he received a contract extension. Were the Mountaineers a one-year wonder?

Penn State throttled West Virginia 34-12 in Week 1, with the closest score being 0-0 through the first quarter. The Mountaineers got in the win column in Week 2 against a stout UAlbany team but reverted right back with a crushing 38-34 loss to Pitt.

A 15-point fourth quarter in Week 4 gave them the nail-biting win over Kansas before they blitzed Oklahoma State in Week 6. Still, with Iowa State and Kansas State sieging Morgantown in Weeks 7 and 8, it appeared the road to another victory would be nothing short of a gauntlet.

West Virginia bounced back against Arizona in Week 9 and Cincinnati in Week 11, riding backup QB Nicco Marchiol to consecutive victories. However, Garrett Greene returned in Week 12 and immediately lost to Baylor, 49-35. He did rush for 129 yards and two scores on the ground, but he was far too inefficient through the air.

37) Syracuse Orange (+3)

Kyle McCord threw 354 yards and four TDs in his Orange debut, making up for a ground game that couldn’t impose its will on Ohio in Week 1. McCord then threw another 381 yards and four TDs on a stout Georgia Tech defense that started Florida State’s downfall.

Unfortunately, Stanford had enough tape to stymie Syracuse’s offense. Once again, the ground game did nothing, with the RBs combining for 34 yards on 12 carries. McCord threw two costly INTs, including a 74-yard pick-six, and was unable to carry the unit. Holy Cross gave them a bit of a scare in Week 5, but the Orange closed out the victory.

However, their biggest win came in Week 6, as Syracuse upset Group of Five darling UNLV in Las Vegas 44-41. Although there were some iffy calls late in the game that aided the Orange’s efforts, they still put up 492 yards of offense and nearly doubled the Rebels’ time of possession (39:38 to 20:22).

Three takeaways and a 13-minute time of possession advantage helped Syracuse earn its third straight victory. However, Pitt delivered a devasting blow in Week 9, turning the Orange into pulp following a 41-13 beatdown that featured five McCord INTs, three of which were returned for TDs!

He wasn’t flawless in Week 10 against Virginia Tech, but the Orange took down the injury-riddled Hokies in overtime, 38-31. The Orange were on the wrong side of a similar score in Week 11, falling 37-31 to Boston College, who moved to backup QB Grayson James midway through. But they found their rhythm long enough to defeat Cal on the road, securing seven wins on the season.

36) Iowa Hawkeyes (+2)

The Hawkeyes were anything but explosive in the first half against Illinois State in Week 1, but they found their groove in the second. At least the defense, led by preseason All-Americans LB Jay Higgins, CB Sebastion Castro, and S Xavier Nwankpa, can keep the team in games as the offense irons out its kinks.

RB Kaleb Johnson is a legitimate Heisman candidate and proved as much with a 21-206-3 rushing line against Minnesota. But Ohio State was a brick wall, and McNamara couldn’t elevate his play to keep the contest competitive. Iowa then hosted Washington as 2.5-point favorites in Week 7 — they won by 24 (40-16).

The Hawkeyes suffered one of their most uncharacteristic losses in Week 8, allowing Michigan State to rack up nearly 500 yards and double their time of possession (39:44 to 20:16). And although they won 40-14 against Northwestern, it required a QB change from McNamara to junior Brendan Sullivan.

Sullivan then powered the Hawkeyes to their highest point total of the year vs. Wisconsin (42-10), going 7 of 10 through the air for 93 yards and a TD while adding another 58 yards and a score on the ground. Yet, his beginner’s luck ran out in a 20-17 road loss to UCLA, as he completed just 6 of 9 passes with zero TDS and two INTs. The committee will have a tough time keeping the Hawkeyes in the Top 25.

35) Texas Tech Red Raiders (+2)

Behren Morton thrived in Week 1, going 30 of 42 for 378 yards and five TDs. However, the defense allowed Abilene Christian to force overtime and end the night with 51 points.

That game should’ve been a warning sign for the Red Raiders, as they fell 37-16 to Washington State in the Mike Leach Legacy Bowl. Turning the ball over four times and going 1 for 5 on fourth downs didn’t help their cause, as the Red Raiders struggled to find any rhythm on offense.

However, they were able to beat up on North Texas in Week 3 — dropping 44 points on the Mean Green by the second quarter — knocked off an undefeated Arizona State squad in Week 4, survived Cincinnati in Week 5, and humbled Arizona on the road in Week 6.

MORE: Longest Active Winning Streaks in College Football

The offense can clearly score with the best, but the defense took a step in the right direction against the Wildcats, intercepting two passes and forcing three field goals. However, both units underperformed against a Baylor squad that entered Week 8 at 0-3 in conference play. It wasn’t a tight loss, either, as the Bears scored 59 points on the Red Raiders.

Morton had his team in position to win against TCU in Week 9, but he suffered a shoulder injury, forcing true freshman Will Hammond into the lineup. Hammond played well in relief, but a late fumble sealed the deal.

Morton returned in Week 10, and although he threw two picks, the rest of the team picked up the slack, upsetting undefeated Iowa State as 14.5-point underdogs (23-22). The Big 12 is wide open. However, Colorado knocked the Red Raiders down a peg, taking the No. 2 spot in the conference from them with a 34-20 Week 11 win.

34) Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (-10)

Michael Desormeaux has posted back-to-back 6-7 seasons since taking over for Bill Napier, and his squad could take a big leap in 2024. The roster was largely intact this offseason, with nine defensive starters and most of the offensive line and skill-position corps returning.

QB Zeon Chriss is off to Houston, but Ben Wooldridge played well in back-to-back victories over Grambling and Kennesaw State and kept it close with Tulane in Week 3. If he can keep the turnovers to a minimum, as he did in a 41-38 upset over Wake Forest — which the Demon Deacons paid the Cajuns $800,000 for — and the 23-13 win against Southern Miss, the Cajuns will remain atop the Sun Belt standings.

Defeating App State in Week 7, Coastal Carolina in Week 8, Texas State in Week 10, and Arkansas State in Week 11 cemented their place, as Louisiana is now firmly in the No. 1 spot in the West. Make that “was firmly” as after a surprising 24-22 loss to South Alabama — that only looks better thanks to a 16-0 fourth-quarter outburst — the Ragin’ Cajuns are feeling the rest of the West Division breathing down their backs.

33) Pittsburgh Panthers (-4)

Pittsburgh won the ACC title in 2021 and then went 9-4 in 2022. However, the Panthers face-planted to a 3-9 record in 2023, and the pressure is on HC Pat Narduzzi to get the team back on track.

QB Eli Holstein and RB Desmond Reid showed promise in Week 1 against Kent State and came right back against Cincinnati. It took a 22-0 run in the second half to pull off the victory, but the Panthers showed the resilience they didn’t have last year.

The same note rang true in the last five contests, as Pitt outlasted West Virginia 38-34, roasted Youngstown State 73-17, stormed Chapel Hill for the 34-24 victory over North Carolina, held off Cal 17-15, and sent Syracuse to the gulag with a 41-13 win. The program is on fire and 7-0 for the first time since 1982.

Make that was on fire, as they ran into SMU and Virginia over the past two weeks, each bringing with them their own flavor of L. The Mustangs cruised to a monstrous 48-11 victory, while the Cavaliers held on for a tight 24-19 upset. It’s been an impressive campaign for Pitt, but they’re officially out of the ACC race.

If that wasn’t clear before, it is now following a 24-20 loss to Clemson, albeit with Holstein out due to injury.

32) Missouri Tigers (-4)

Missouri is fresh off their best season (11-2) in a decade and returned most of their offensive production.

Holding Murray State and Buffalo to zero points and snatching two picks against Boston College should’ve had the Tigers feeling a type of way on defense. But Vanderbilt forced overtime, with a missed 31-yard field goal handing Missouri a dub.

It was clear the Tigers had some questions to answer on both sides of the ball, and it all came to a head against Texas A&M in Week 6. The offensive couldn’t move the chains, going 0 and 6 on third/fourth downs while averaging just 3.5 yards per play in the first half, resulting in a 24-0 deficit.

At least Mizzou faced UMass and Auburn next, giving them confidence-inducing victories. They also narrowly defeated Oklahoma on a late fumble return TD to move to 7-2 on the year. But their 34-0 loss to Alabama and 34-30 defeat to South Carolina ended Missouri’s conference title bid early.

31) Illinois Fighting Illini (+5)

Following a bowl appearance and an 8-5 record, Illinois fell to 5-7 last season. We know how the defense will perform under HC Bret Bielema, but the offense has reached new heights in 2024.

Their 45-0 route of Eastern Illinois put Kansas on notice entering Week 2, but the Jayhawks couldn’t come out on top as 4.5-point road favorites. The Illini’s defense forced four turnovers, with DB Xavier Scott snatching two picks and returning one to the house.

It was much of the same against Central Michigan in Week 3, but Nebraska took Illinois to overtime in Week 4. Still, the Illini outlasted their opponent, with QB Luke Altmyer putting on a masterclass in game management, completing 21 of 27 passes for 215 yards and four TDs.

Penn State proved to be a different beast in Week 5, highlighting the offense’s ceiling but also the defense’s prowess in a 21-7 loss. The ground game struggled to do much of anything against Purdue, but it didn’t matter, with Altmyer totaling 400+ yards and four scores.

It was the defense’s turn to carry in Week 8, generating three turnovers and conceding just seven points to a shell-of-itself Michigan squad. But the Illini couldn’t keep up with Oregon in Week 9, as the defense turned into a sieve, ushering in a 35-3 halftime deficit. Then, both sides fell flat in Week 10, allowing Minnesota to win 25-17.

Both sides found their stride against Michigan State, leading to a 38-16 victory highlighted by a 14-0 fourth quarter.

30) Vanderbilt Commodores (+4)

Vanderbilt has been a perennial bottom-feeder in the SEC, but the arrival of the New Mexico State contingent has been enough for the Commodores to crawl themselves out of the cellar.

QB Diego Pavia single-handedly drove the team to a win over Virginia Tech, even if it required overtime. The ‘Dores then took care of business against Alcorn State, beginning their season 2-0 for the first time since 2018.

However, Pavia’s heroics weren’t enough to defeat Georgia State on the road, especially after falling into a 22-10 hole entering the fourth quarter. He then powered the Commodores to overtime against Missouri, but a 31-yard missed field goal unceremoniously ended their Week 4 upset effort.

And then, the unthinkable happened. Hosting the Crimson Tide as 23.5-point underdogs, Vandy surprised the country by netting its first-ever win over a No. 1 team. With Pavia at the helm, the Commodores are here to stay — as proven by a 20-13 win over Kentucky and a 24-14 victory against Ball State since the emotional high.

But all good things come to an end, and the ‘Dores ran out of magic vs. Texas — even though they took them the distance. Pavia tossed two INTs and couldn’t pull off the comeback, leading to a 27-24 defeat.

Vandy’s three losses have come by a combined 10 points this season. But the ‘Dores punched their bowl ticket with a Week 10 win over Auburn, their first time doing so since 2018. South Carolina beat up on Pavia in Week 11, and the next two games (at LSU and vs. Tennessee) won’t be much better.

29) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+3)

The Yellow Jackets entered their Week 0 contest with Florida State as 10.5-point underdogs. But they left Dublin, Ireland, with an impressive 24-21 victory over their 10th-ranked conference rival.

The Yellow Jackets came right back and thwarted Georgia State 35-12, having their way with their in-state opponent. However, their ascent up the 2024 College Football Power Rankings stopped there, as they couldn’t stave off Syracuse. The offense played well, but the Orange held a 36:54 to 23:06 time-of-possession advantage.

Unsurprisingly, the Yellow Jackets were able to pick up their third win of the season against a winless VMI in Week 3. But they ran into an undefeated Louisville squad in Week 4, and kicker Aidan Birr missed two field goals in a 31-19 loss. Yet, Birr’s misses didn’t kill Georgia Tech’s comeback odds — going 4 of 15 on third down did.

The Yellow Jackets were marginally better against Duke, moving the chains on 7 of 16 first downs, but the real highlight was their 3 of 3 performance on fourth down. That kept the ball in their hands for 39:27 minutes — 19 more than the Blue Devils.

And even with Haynes King exiting late into the Week 7 contest against North Carolina, it didn’t matter, with Jamal Haynes rumbling for the 68-yard walk-off score with under 20 seconds remaining. However, King’s absence did matter in Weeks 8 and 9, as backup QB Zach Pryon couldn’t hold his own against Notre Dame or Virginia Tech.

King returned in Week 11 against Miami, and although he didn’t throw much, splitting time with Aaron Philo, he completed 6 of 6 passes for 32 yards and a score while leading the team on the ground (93 yards and a TD) for the huge conference upset.

28) Duke Blue Devils (+2)

Although Mike Elko was Duke’s head coach for only two seasons, the team had its most successful back-to-back campaigns since 2014-2015. Manny Diaz kept the momentum going to open the 2024 season, as the Blue Devils rattled off five straight wins.

Duke couldn’t do anything offensively in the first half against North Carolina, posting zero points, one third-down conversion on 10 attempts, and 2.6 yards per play. But with RB Star Thomas leading the way (30-166-1 rushing line, 2-45-1 receiving), the Blue Devils charged all the way back to a 21-20 victory to remain undefeated.

And then they weren’t. In a week chock-full of stormed fields and upsets, the Blue Devils converted just 3 of 11 third downs, committed seven penalties, and were outgained by 133 yards en route to their first loss of the season. Georgia Tech held the ball for nearly double Duke’s 20:33 time of possession, highlighting the defense’s inability to get off the field.

However, Florida State provided an antidote in Week 8, something they’ve done all year for their opponents. Even though the Blue Devils averaged just 3.0 yards per play, they earned their first-ever victory over the Seminoles in 21 matchups.

Then, Diaz’s squad took SMU to overtime, only to lose on a questionable two-point conversion call. The defense turned the ball over six times, but Murphy and Co. squandered several opportunities, just like the final play of the game. The Blue Devils forced Miami out of its slumber in Week 10 but were simply outgunned, losing 53-31. It was a different story in Week 11, with Murphy and Co. putting up 29 points to NC State’s 19.

27) Louisville Cardinals (+5)

There wasn’t much to take away from Louisville’s drubbing of a depleted Austin Peay squad in Week 1, but it did set the tone for their 49-14 embarrassment of Jacksonville State and 31-19 home defense against Georgia Tech.

Yet, despite Notre Dame doing their best to hand the game to the Cardinals, they wouldn’t take it, ultimately falling to a 31-17 deficit in the fourth. Turnovers (two fumbles and one pick) and a lack of explosiveness through the air (5.9 yards per pass) were the nail in the coffin for Louisville, killing its comeback effort.

Then, the program committed seven penalties, turned the ball over once more, and struggled to convert on third down (4 of 12), resulting in a 34-27 loss to SMU.

After back-to-back losses, Jeff Brohm’s squad regrouped by defeating Virginia 24-20, making Miami earn every point of its 52-45 victory, holding off Boston College 31-27 in Week 9, and upsetting Clemson 33-21 in Week 10. The latest win secured bowl eligibility, but there is still a slim chance of an ACC championship berth with some losses ahead of them.

That was assuming Louisville handled business, of course, which they did not in Week 12. The Cardinals walked into Stanford Stadium as 20+ point favorites and left 38-25 losers, with the Cardinal kicking a walk-off field goal as time expired.

26) LSU Tigers (-5)

While the defense showed promise against the run (3.0 yards per carry allowed), it conceded 378 yards through the air in Week 1. Committing 10 penalties for 99 yards certainly hindered the team’s performance, but USC simply outplayed LSU in Allegiant Stadium.

It was one loss against a ranked opponent in the first game of the year — we weren’t going to drop the Tigers far. But after a lackluster showing against Nicholls and a near loss to South Carolina, it was time to drop them down the College Football Power Rankings.

However, a 34-17 win over UCLA and an eruption against South Alabama has given LSU a much-needed boost heading into a highly anticipated match with Ole Miss. In spite of two INTs from QB Garrett Nussmeier, the Tigers kicked the Rebels out of Death Valley with its second loss of the year.

Arkansas didn’t fare any better in Week 8, scoring a measly 10 points to LSU’s 34. But the Tigers met their match in Week 9, as Texas A&M won 38-23 despite paltry QB play from Conner Weigman.

It was a similar result against Alabama in Week 11, with Jalen Milroe rushing for nearly 200 yards and three scores in the blowout win. Even a lowly Florida team choked the Tigers out in Week 12, winning 27-16. With four losses on the year and Vanderbilt still to come, LSU is out of the CFP and SEC races.

25) Washington State Cougars (-8)

The Cougars saw a mass exodus of talent via the portal, losing 27 players and adding just 12. Among the losses was uber-talented starting QB Cam Ward, who is now a Miami Hurricane. Head coach Jake Dickert faced an uphill battle in Year 3, but redshirt sophomore QB John Mateer led the program to a 4-0 start in 2024.

He dazzled through the air in Week 1 against Portland State (352 yards and five TDs) and on the ground against Texas Tech (21-197-1) before totaling another three TDs against Washington.

The defense was blinded by the Friday night lights, allowing 52 points to San Jose State in double overtime. But Mateer and the offense did just enough to make up for it, generating 627 total yards and 54 points.

MORE: Biggest Upsets in College Football History

Play-calling and discipline have been issues for the Cougars, and they reared their ugly heads again in Week 5 against Boise State. Wazzu struggled to maintain momentum, ultimately falling 45-24, with costly turnovers and missed opportunities derailing their chance to stay undefeated.

Even with another pick in Week 7, Washington State flew south and left Fresno, Calif., with an eight-point victory (25-17) over their future Pac-12 opponent. Hawaii, San Diego State, and Utah State provided the Cougars’ next three wins en route to the best season in school history.

However, New Mexico played spoiler in Week 12, upsetting Washington State 38-35. Don’t blame Mateer, as he kept the Cougars in the game with 375 passing yards, four passing TDs, 68 rushing yards, and a rushing score.

24) South Carolina Gamecocks (+7)

The offense has looked average at best this season, particularly QB LaNorris Sellers, but South Carolina still pushed LSU to the brink in Week 3.

If Sellers can cut down on the ball security issues and Raheim Sanders is able to establish the rushing attack early in contests, the Gamecocks could play spoiler to some teams higher on the list.

Robby Ashford stepped onto the field with Sellers out in Week 4, and he gave Akron more than they could handle. He accounted for 200+ yards and two scores in the first half before taking his foot off the gas in the second.

Unsurprisingly, Ole Miss whooped on the Gamecocks in Week 6, but this is a young team with immense raw talents a year or two away from blossoming. That was clear as day against Alabama in Week 7.

Despite the 27-25 loss, Sellers had multiple opportunities not only to win but to do so by more than a few points — he just couldn’t hit his open WRs. But directionless Oklahoma offered a window into the future last week, as the Gamecocks, powered by two defensive TDs, held a 32-3 lead … at halftime.

The future became the present in Week 10, with South Carolina scoring 44 points on Texas A&M, who hadn’t allowed more than 24 this season. They followed it up with a 28-7 outing over Vanderbilt, earning a bowl berth for the third time in HC Shane Beamer’s tenure. But the Gamecocks put together another highlight-reel-worthy outing against Missouri in a ranked SEC matchup, making two fourth-quarter comebacks to win 34-30.

23) Tulane Green Wave (+4)

A 52-0 win over SE Louisiana and a down-to-the-wire 34-27 defeat against Kansas State proved Tulane is here to stay in the AAC despite massive roster turnover. QB Darian Mensah has looked poised under center, but Oklahoma proved to be on an entirely different level in Week 3.

Louisiana gave the Green Wave a run for their money in Week 4, but star RB Makhi Hughes powered them (23-166-1 rushing line) to a résumé-building 41-33 victory. However, the gravy train didn’t stop there, as Tulane outplayed USF, UAB, Rice, North Texas (a 45-37 thriller), Charlotte, and Temple over the last six games.

Their biggest game was supposed to be against Navy in Week 12, but after Blake Horvath went down, it turned into a 35-0 bloodbath for the Green Wave.

22) UNLV Rebels (+4)

UNLV’s Go-Go offense pivoted to a run-first approach against Houston in Week 1, owning the lead for the entire contest. The aerial assault had its time to shine in Week 2 vs. Utah Tech, with QB Matthew Sluka and White combining for three TDs … in the first quarter.

Sluka struggled to move the ball through the air against Kansas, but it didn’t matter because he kept the chains moving with his legs (19-124-0 rushing line). But since Week 4, it’s been: Sluka, who?

After the former starter announced his decision to redshirt and transfer, Hajj-Malik Williams led the Rebels to a 21-0 halftime lead against Fresno State, scoring a TD through the air and on the ground.

MORE: Top College Quarterback Rankings 2024

Williams was even more impressive against Syracuse, but the defense couldn’t keep the Orange off the field, and the Rebels’ nine penalties for 108 yards were insurmountable — not just for the Week 6 matchup, but possibly for their CFP chances.

They came right back and beat Utah State into unconsciousness and withstood Oregon State’s best punches, moving to 6-1 on the year. Yet, the penalty bug came back to bite in arguably UNLV’s biggest bout of the year: Boise State.

An unsportsmanlike penalty killed one drive of their last drives, and a defensive holding on CB Tony Grimes extended a Broncos series, allowing them to run off the final 8:07 minutes of the game. Even Hawaii and SDSU (until the second quarter) gave UNLV some trouble, but the program didn’t fall victim to an upset. The Rebels may not be playing for CFP bid anymore, but a bowl game is all but secured, and the conference title is still within reach.

21) Kansas State Wildcats (-7)

The Wildcats have one of the most explosive backfields in the country and rode it to three straight victories.

However, Avery Johnson runs hot and cold accuracy-wise. His 64.2% completion rate, 7.3 yards per attempt, and 6:1 TD-to-INT ratio looked impressive on paper entering Week 4, but he had missed a few wide-open receivers and gotten lucky with a few turnover-worthy throws.

It all came to a head against BYU last Saturday night. Johnson and the ‘Cats were down 31-6 midway through the third, largely thanks to his sub-50% completion rate and two INTs, one of which was right between the numbers of a linebacker.

RB DJ Giddens ran wild against Oklahoma State and Colorado, culminating in back-to-back Big 12 wins. But their third (West Virginia) and fourth (Kansas) came via Johnson’s arm. If he can consistently move the chains with his arm, K-State will be a serious threat to teams higher up the rankings.

Unfortunately, Johnson’s shortcoming came to roost in Week 10 vs. Houston and Week 12 vs. Arizona State, as he completed just 59.5% of his passes for 6.3 yards per attempt, one TD, and four INTs.

20) Arizona State Sun Devils (+5)

The Sun Devils have had their way offensively in 2024, with Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt looking solid under center and Cam Skattebo pounding the rock, especially against Mississippi State in Week 2 (33-262-0).

Year 2 of the Kenny Dillingham era has gotten off to a fast start, but the Sun Devils were unable to keep the momentum rolling against Big 12 competition, losing 30-22 to Texas Tech in Week 4. Leavitt struggled through the air, with Skattebo the only real offensive threat, scoring two TDs on the ground and hauling in six receptions for 117 yards.

A home matchup against a floundering Kansas program gave Arizona State its first Big 12 win in Week 6, although the live win-probability chart fluctuated widely throughout the 35-31 contest. But the Sun Devils’ biggest win came in Week 7 against Utah, effectively extinguishing the Utes’ playoff hopes.

They picked Cam Rising off twice in his return and up over 350 yards on one of the stingier defenses in the country. But Leavitt missed Week 8, and the offense struggled because of it, as Jeff Sims converted just 4 of 14 third/fourth downs.

With Leavitt back to full health in Week 10, the Sun Devils racked up double Oklahoma State’s final score (42-21), with Skattebo rumbling for 100+ as both a rusher and receiver. Even without Skattebo in Week 11, Leavitt threw three TD passes to thwart UCF 35-31, keeping the Sun Devils’ longshot title hopes alive.

However, the Sun Devils’ best win yet came in Week 12, as they upset No. 16 Kansas State 24-14, with Skattebo held in check (25 carries for 73 scoreless yards), no less! Leavitt diced the Wildcats up threw the air, finishing with 275 yards and three TDs, 176 and two of which went to WR Jordyn Tyson.

19) Iowa State Cyclones (+4)

Entering his ninth season, Matt Campbell is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the conference. The Cyclones surprised many by posting a winning record last year, and now they return nearly every starter on both sides of the ball.

The Cyclones welcomed 30.5-point underdog North Dakota to Ames, Iowa, and only won 21-3. QB Rocco Becht and the aerial assault were fine, but the running game couldn’t generate 100 yards against their FCS opponent, which could be a concern.

The unit then averaged just 3.2 yards per carry against Iowa, but with the Hawkeyes owning one of the best defenses in the country, it’s forgivable. Becht, along with Cade McNamara’s poor play on the other side, led Iowa State to the 20-19 upset over their ranked in-state rival in Week 2 and has them in prime position in the Big 12.

Quick victories over Arkansas State, Houston, Baylor, West Virginia, and a nail-biting 38-35 win against UCF should generate conviction leading into the final stretch of the conference schedule. But it was time to ask just how far this Cyclones team could go in the CFP, as they were 7-0 for the first time since 1938.

Texas Tech and Kansas answered for us, yanking Iowa State down by the collar for its first two losses of the season. The Cyclones bounced back with a 34-17 win over Cincinnati and are still in the conference race, but they are likely out of CFP talks.

18) Tennessee Volunteers (-6)

Those in Knoxville, Tenn., have tabbed Nico Iamaleava as the chosen one, and with Josh Heupel directing traffic, it’s hard to dispute them.

Tennessee went 9-4 with Joe Milton III at the helm. If Iamaleava continues to live up to the hype, a 10+ win campaign is on the horizon. The Vols have imposed their will any way they’ve liked this season, culminating in a 65-point first half vs. Kent State in Week 3.

Oklahoma couldn’t keep pace with their own rising QB in Jackson Arnold, as Tennessee built a 19-3 lead at the half and kept the pressure defensively, forcing Brent Venables to bench Arnold for the rest of the game. But Arkansas, with Sam Pittman coaching for his job, stunted the high-flying Vols, shutting them out in three quarters.

The drought extended to the first half against Florida in Week 7, but the Vols took them to overtime and left with a 23-17 victory, prompting an upset of Alabama and a 28-18 victory over Kentucky in the next two games.

Iamaleava is a young QB who will have his growing pains, and with the CFP expanding to 12 teams, dropping a game early in the season won’t matter as much. But if the offense doesn’t find its rhythm, Tennessee could be in trouble with Georgia still on the schedule.

Iamaleava left the Week 11 bout against Mississippi State at halftime with an upper-body injury and didn’t return. The Vols still won with ease, but their QB position will need to be monitored entering their road matchup with Georgia. Iamaleava returned despite the upper-body injury being a concussion, and the result was a 31-17 loss, with the offense averaging just 4.5 yards per play.

17) Army Black Knights (+3)

If there’s one word to describe Jeff Monken’s Black Knights, it’s consistent. They’ve only suffered one losing season after his first two years with the program (2014-15), and they closed the 2023 campaign with four straight wins, including victories over Air Force and Navy for the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy.

The rushing attack reinstituted its supremacy against Lehigh in Week 1, taking 56 carries for 375 and six TDs. The unit came right back and completely obliterated FAU in Week 2, Rice in Week 4, Temple in Week 5, Tulsa in Week 6, UAB in Week 7, and East Carolina in Week 8. Even Air Force stood no chance with Bryson Daily out in Week 10. North Texas made the Black Knights work for it in Week 11, but the final scored 14-3, Army.

With a rather soft schedule and sitting at 9-0, don’t sleep on the Black Knights in the national conversation.

16) Colorado Buffaloes (+3)

All press is good press … unless you aren’t performing on the field. Deion Sanders and Colorado took the country by storm early last season but fell off their own hype train, stumbling to a 4-8 record.

The Buffaloes were able to avoid a repeat performance against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State in Week 1, hanging on to win 31-26 behind the right arm of Shedeur Sanders and the God-given two-way abilities of Travis Hunter. Still, the offensive line and running game looked shaky and reared their ugly heads against Nebraska in Week 2.

Sanders was sacked four times in the first half and hit several more times, which is not what Coach Prime wants to see as his son is one season away from hearing his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Give credit where credit is due, as the Buffs ignored the outside noise and won three straight. Despite being 12.5-point road dogs to UCF, Colorado shocked the Black Knights, owning a 34-14 lead midway through the third quarter.

Straddling a late-game INT by Sanders, Kansas State pulled a reverse Santa on Colorado, breaking into their house and taking instead of giving. Even with two more picks from Sanders, the Buffs rocked Arizona’s world, leaving Tucson with a 34-7 victory.

Cincinnati, Texas Tech, and Utah weren’t particularly competitive either in the last three weeks, with Sanders and Hunter adding to their Heisman résumés. Don’t look now, but Coach Prime and the Buffs are a few wins away from a CFP berth.

15) Texas A&M Aggies (+3)

Taking on Notre Dame in Week 1 was never going to be easy, but Conner Weigman and Co. made it look damn near impossible. Yes, Weigman needed time to reacclimate to full speed after a season-ending injury last year, but he couldn’t tell the difference between the turf, his WRs, and defenders against the Irish.

Weigman threw two TDs to three incompletions against McNeese in Week 2 but missed the next three games due to an AC joint sprain. It didn’t matter, as freshman QB Marcel Reed performed well enough to take care of the directionless Florida Gators, the sneaky-good Bowling Green Falcons, and the floundering Arkansas Razorbacks.

With Weigman back and healthy, the Aggies produced their best win yet, knocking off No. 9-ranked Missouri — and it was never close. Texas A&M played a near-flawless first half of football, dominating in all phases and building a 24-0 lead the Tigers couldn’t put a dent into.

It wasn’t as one-sided in Week 8 vs. Mississippi State, but the Aggies churned out their fifth straight SEC win in Week 9, defeating LSU 38-23. The streak ended in Week 10, with South Carolina dominating Texas A&M 44-20. Now, there are five SEC teams with one loss in conference play — the race to the title has never been tighter.

14) BYU Cougars (-7)

BYU hasn’t had back-to-back losing seasons since 2003-2004. Entering the 2024 campaign, it appeared the Cougars were in danger of that streak ending. Yet, they are coming off five straight victories and are real contenders in the Big 12.

Watching QB Jake Retzlaff is not for the faint of heart, but he has some dual-threat ability, and the defense has the talent to buoy the team.

The unit proved as much by holding Kansas State to just six points midway through the third quarter in Week 4, jumping out to a 31-14 halftime lead over Baylor in Week 5, leading 27-10 entering the fourth quarter against Arizona, outlasting Oklahoma State 38-35 in Week 8 on a 35-yard go-ahead TD with 11 seconds remaining, and drowning UCF 37-24 in Week 9.

Then, the Holy War rivalry gave us one of the best late-night games of the season, with BYU driving the length of the field to kick the game-winning field goal with just four seconds left on the clock. Utah proved the Cougars have warts, but they also showed the grit needed to win tight contests.

That grit didn’t show up in Week 12, though, as BYU fell 17-13 to a Kansas squad that entered the game with just three wins on the year. The Cougars are still atop the conference alongside Colorado, but they’ll take a tumble from a CFP viewpoint.

13) Clemson Tigers (+3)

The Tigers added zero players from the transfer portal this offseason after posting their worst record since 2011 (9-4), and their 34-3 loss at Georgia’s hands pointed to a Dabo Swinney problem.

Klubnik and Co. did wash some of the taste of the Week 1 loss out of their mouths with a dominant performance against App State in Week 2, which began with 21 points in the game’s first eight minutes.

Week 4’s win over NC State was even more impressive, with Klubnik completing 7 of 8 passes for 77 yards and two TDs, plus a 55-yard rushing score, on the game’s first three possessions.

The Stanford and FSU games began in a similar fashion before those squads were able to turn off the hose for the other three quarters. Yet, the opposite was the case for Wake Forest, as after holding Clemson to zero points in the opening frame, they allowed 49 the rest of the way. And Virginia barely held its water in Death Valley this week.

Swinney may be No. 1 in all-time ACC wins, but Louisville exposed him and his program in Week 10, leaving with a 33-21 dub. Even an injury-riddled Virginia Tech squad and a Pitt program down its starting QB gave them trouble over the last two weeks. Unless Miami or SMU stumble in their final matchups, the Tigers will miss out on the conference title bout once again.

12) SMU Mustangs (+3)

Rhett Lashlee’s two-QB system worked last year because Preston Stone was playing like a Heisman contender. However, Stone looked like a deer in headlights in his return from a season-ending injury, particularly with the offensive line becoming a turnstile.

Kevin Jennings came in and instantly sparked the offense, using his legs to keep plays alive that Stone couldn’t. It wasn’t necessary in Week 4, as the Mustangs rode three non-offensive TDs to set a record for the most points scored in the first half of the Iron Skillet rivalry game with TCU, taking a commanding 41-21.

The ‘Stangs then galloped over FSU in Week 5, picking DJ Uiagalelei off three times en route to a 42-16 win. How they performed against Louisville in Week 6 would determine whether SMU’s resurgence was true or false, and they passed with flying colors.

The program rode out a tight 34-27 victory, with Jennings completing 77.7% of his passes for 281 yards and leading the team on the ground (10-113-1). And if there was any doubt, the Mustangs put Stanford, Duke, Pittsburgh, and Boston College away in the last four games, extending their conference record to 6-0.

11) Georgia Bulldogs (+2)

The Bulldogs came out firing in Week 1, making quick work of Clemson, 34-3. The offense had a few miscues, but they used Tennessee Tech as a punching bag in Week 2.

However, Georiga found itself on upset alert in a 13-12 snoozefest against Kentucky in Week 3, likely because they were looking ahead to their Week 5 date with Alabama. That did them little good, as they caved under the pressure on both sides of the ball early on, finding themselves down 30-7 at halftime.

Credit the Bulldogs for their second-half comeback effort to make it a game with under three minutes left, but it just wasn’t enough. They gifted Auburn its third straight loss, but the offense looked far less electric … until Week 7. Mississippi State was little more than bodies on the field, as Georgia bolted to a 34-10 lead coming out of halftime.

In one of the Games of the Year, the Bulldogs upset Texas 30-15 after building an early 23-0 lead. The defensive line gave the Longhorns more than they could handle, generating seven sacks — one more than Texas has allowed in the previous six contests.

Even with three Beck INTs in Week 10, the Bulldogs barreled their way to a 34-20 victory over Florida. That wasn’t the case in Week 11 against Ole Miss, as the offense scored just 10 points, their fewest in a game since Week 1 of the 2021 season. Beck and Co. found their form against Tennessee just a week later, holding the Vols to 4.5 yards per play while averaging 6.1 themselves.

10) Boise State Broncos (+1)

If Spencer Danielson wants to challenge for a CFP spot, all he needs to do is put the ball in Ashton Jeanty’s hands. He carried the team to a 56-45 victory over Georgia Southern, generating 267 yards and a program-record six TDs on 20 attempts.

Then, against Oregon in Week 2, the Heisman frontrunner nearly single-handedly pulled off the upset, posting a 25-192-3 line with two of his TDs coming in the final frame.

The defensive side of the ball let the team down through two weeks, but the unit exhibited its fortitude against Washington State in Week 5, holding the Cougars to just 10 points heading into the fourth quarter.

The damage was done, and the Broncos handed Wazzu its first loss of the season. Utah State and Hawaii stood no chance in the next two games, with Jeanty adding two more jaw-dropping performances to his Heisman campaign.

A matchup with UNLV proved to be a different story in Week 9, as Jeanty “only” put up 128 yards and a score on 33 carries, but it was just enough to power the Broncos to a 29-24 victory.

Although San Diego State held Jeanty in check for most of Week 10, QB Maddux Madsen threw for 261 yards and four TDs … in the first half. But Jeanty did return to form against Nevada in Week 11 (34-209-3 line).

The Broncos are in pole position to earn the Group of Five’s CFP spot, but Danielson must ensure his team plays one game at a time to avoid a disastrous slip. Spartans gave them a first-half scare, but they locked in by the second, winning 41-21. Still, SJSU threw for 446 yards against Boise’s secondary, which should be concerning against elite competition.

9) Ole Miss Rebels (+1)

Early returns were promising on the Rebels’ 2024 season, as they assaulted Furman 76-0, quickly dispatched Middle Tennessee State 52-3, crushed Wake Forest 40-6, and mutilated Georgia Southern 52-13. But the ball stopped in their first SEC game.

Kentucky, who took Georgia down to the wire a game before, held the No. 1 offense in the nation to just 17 points and secured the victory on the back of a missed 48-yard field goal by Ole Miss. Jaxson Dart and Co. went 1 of 10 on third down and lost a fumble, and the team as a whole committed five more penalties than the Wildcats.

The Rebels used South Carolina to iron out their kinks, garnering a 24-3 halftime lead. But a ranked conference loss to LSU set them back once again. Relatively easy victories over Oklahoma and Arkansas followed, but Ole Miss’ dismantling of Georgia in Week 11 was eye-opening and shook up the conference standings once again.

If Dart’s ankle injury doesn’t bother him too much and he remains in rhythm, the Rebels will be a tough out the rest of the season.

8) Alabama Crimson Tide (+1)

Despite several players jumping ship after Nick Saban’s retirement, the Crimson Tide’s cabinets remain full, as indicated by their 63-0 rout of Western Kentucky in Week 1. USF posed much more of a threat in Week 2, but after a scoreless third quarter, ‘Bama put any upset worries to bed in the fourth.

After Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke went down with an injury, Alabama’s Week 3 victory was all but sealed. Still, Jalen Milroe has clearly taken to head coach Kalen DeBoer’s QB whispers and has played the part of a Heisman candidate this season.

If you didn’t believe that statement before the Georgia game, you certainly have to after. Milroe completed 18 of 20 passes for 186 yards, one TD, and one INT off a dropped pass while rushing for 106 yards and two more scores in the first half. The Crimson Tide clearly dissected Georgia’s film leading up to the game, using motion to their advantage all night.

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DOWN GO THE CRIMSON TIDE.

Apparently, Alabama’s second-half shortcomings against Georgia were a sign of things to come, as Vanderbilt held the lead for the entire game. Then, South Carolina nearly pulled off the unthinkable in Tuscaloosa. And although the Crimson Tide came out of the Week 7 conference dual with a win, they shouldn’t feel all that good about it.

Despite the back-to-back wake-up calls, Alabama didn’t answer, dropping their second SEC contest to Tennessee after shutting the Vols out in the first half. The Tide washed out Missouri in Week 9 and LSU in Week 11, highlighting the program’s ceiling in 2024. Then, a Week 12 matchup with Mercer allowed the Tide to rest the starters early and get a glimpse at some younger depth pieces.

7) Miami Hurricanes (+1)

The Hurricanes made quick work of in-state foes Florida and Florida A&M in Weeks 1 and 2 and torched Ball State in Week 3. USF kept the game semi-tight in the first half, but once Miami got going, there was no stopping them. Virginia Tech offered a much stiffer challenge in Week 5, testing the ‘Canes for the first time this season.

We needed to see how the senior QB played under pressure, and he delivered when it mattered most, boosting Miami’s odds on the path to the playoffs. However, Cam Ward and his WRs were out of sync, and the offensive line conceded more pressure than usual against Cal in Week 6.

That’s not even mentioning the defense allowing two 50+ yard passing TDs early on. Virginia Tech poked holes in Miami’s armor, and Cal seemingly exploited them — until the final 18 minutes, that is. Ward put on his Superman suit and led a 29-3 comeback, which was almost dashed by a targeting call in the final minutes.

For the third consecutive week, the Canes needed every last ounce of their skill and effort to defeat an ACC opponent, beating Louisville 52-45. While we’d like to see the Canes not have to come back in games, it’s good to know they can. Lifeless Florida State offered Miami an easy victory in Week 9, although Ward and Co. left some points off the board in the 36-14 blowout.  

Ward continued his run for the Heisman with 400 yards and five TDs against Duke, even if it took a half to get going — the ‘Canes scored 36 of their 51 points in the second half.

Then, the program’s inability to put teams away tanked their dreams of an undefeated season, with Georgia Tech grinding its way to a 28-23 upset. A poor third/fourth-down conversion rate (4 of 14) doomed the ‘Canes, particularly with the Yellow Jackets owning time of possession (34:49 to 25:11) and the ground game (271 to 88).

6) Penn State Nittany Lions (–)

While questions surrounding Penn State’s WR corps are warranted, former Kansas OC Andy Kotelnicki has the offense humming with Drew Allar behind center. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen also form one of the best RB duos in the nation, and they both nearly surpassed 100 yards against Illinois’ vaunted defense in Week 5.

Outside of rough first halves against Bowling Green and USC, the Nittany Lions’ defense has stifled everyone across from them this season, solidifying their status as a top contender this season.

However, head coach James Franklin’s inability to win big games reared its ugly head in Week 10, as Penn State fell to Ohio State once again, moving to 1-10 against the Buckeyes in Franklin’s tenure. Washington (35-6) and Purdue (49-10) did offer nice bounce-back spots, with the Nittany Lions posting back-to-back 20+ point victories.

5) Texas Longhorns (–)

Dusting Colorado State 52-0 in Week 1 wasn’t all that surprising, but it showcased the Longhorns’ defensive prowess and gave the world a sneak peek at Arch Manning.

Quinn Ewers and the passing attack remain elite and were methodical against Michigan in Week 2, one of the best defenses in the country. Then, in Week 3, they took care of business against UTSA, although Ewers left in the second quarter due to an abdomen strain, propelling Manning back into the limelight.

The redshirt freshman then got his first two starts against ULM and Mississippi State, showcasing the skill set that earned him the No. 1 overall recruit label out of high school. Quinn Ewers returned for the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma in Week 7, and although he looked rusty early on, he led the Longhorns to their 64th win in the series.

It’s natty or bust in Austin, and the Longhorns were playing like it — until Georgia came to town. The offensive line was ready for the Bulldogs’ speed and power upfront, leading to an early 23-0 deficit. And while they showed life in the second half, it wasn’t enough to avoid their first loss of the season.

Vanderbilt gave Longhorns fans a scare in Week 9, as Ewers threw another two picks. Texas snapped the Commodores’ three-game winning streak in their first game ranked in the Top 25 since 2012.

It was a tough win, but one that showcased the team’s toughness after a heartbreaking loss to Georgia the week prior. Florida, on its third QB of the year, stood no chance in Week 11, falling into a 35-0 hole at halftime. Arkansas made the Longhorns break a sweat, but the defense wrecked havoc in the backfield, and the offense did enough to win 20-10.

4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (–)

Notre Dame’s strength has always lied in its defense, as it proved against Texas A&M in Week 1. Conner Weigman was seeing ghosts in the pocket and downfield, completing just 12 of 30 passes for 100 yards and two picks.

Yet, just one week later, the Fighting Irish were upset by Northern Illinois in a defensive 16-14 grind. Leonard averaged just 5.1 yards per attempt and threw two INTs in the contest, hamstringing the offense.

But Notre Dame isn’t out of the playoff race. In fact, the Fighting Irish could hold a decently high seed after rattling off seven straight victories over Purdue, Miami (OH), Louisville, Stanford, Georgia Tech, ranked Navy, Florida State, and Virginia — but Leonard has to maintain a rhythm as a passer to win postseason games.

3) Indiana Hoosiers (–)

The Hoosiers haven’t had a winning season in three years — that will change in 2024. Curt Cignetti ransacked the transfer portal for reinforcements, bringing in several of his most talented players from James Madison.

The second half of the schedule is no cakewalk, but the additions of QB Kurtis Rourke, WR Elijah Sarratt, EDGE Mikail Kamara, DTs CJ West and James Carpenter, LB Jailin Walker, and CB D’Angelo Ponds give Indiana a fighting chance.

The defense held FIU underwater in Week 1, and the offense rode the run game to a 31-7 victory. And although Western Illinois is no Georgia, the Hoosiers set program records for offensive yards (701) and points (77) in Week 2. Unsurprisingly, Charlotte proved to be no match in Week 3, as the offensive fireworks continued to launch.

With Indiana keeping its foot on the pedal against Big Ten competition, including victories against UCLA, Maryland, Northwestern, Nebraska, Washington (without Kurtis Rourke under center, no less), Michigan State, and Michigan, they should earn a first-round bye in the playoffs.

2) Ohio State Buckeyes (–)

Ohio State has defeated all but one Big Ten opponent in the past three regular seasons — Michigan. That changes in 2024. Jim Harbaugh is gone, and the Wolverines are in a state of flux.

QB Will Howard and RBs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson form the deadliest collegiate backfield; Emeka Egbuka and true freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith lead an elite WR corps; and Ryan Day hired his mentor, Chip Kelly, to call the plays.

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But the offense isn’t the only championship-quality unit. The defense is battled-tested and comes equipped with an experienced, skilled, and athletically gifted front four (Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloa, Tyleik Williams, and Ty Hamilton) and secondary (Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock, and Davison Igbinosun).

One-sided wins over Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, and an average-at-best Michigan State team don’t mean much, but the Buckeyes smothered Iowa in Week 6, were one play away from beating Oregon on their home turf, stifled Nebraska 21-17 in Week 9, sent Penn State packing once again in Week 10, and dispatched Purdue in Week 11, although it wasn’t nearly as dominant as it could’ve been because of Howard’s inconsistencies under center.

After Northwestern took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter, the Buckeyes finally remembered who they were and rattled off 31 unanswered points, with Smith hauling in another 100 yards as Ohio State’s freshman receiving triple-crown record holder.

1) Oregon Ducks (–)

Dan Lanning has gone 22-5 with consecutive bowl victories in his two years in Eugene, but it’s time to take the next step. The Ducks didn’t get off to the hottest start, beating Idaho by only 10 points (24-14) and Boise State by only three (37-34).

But they demolished in-state rival Oregon State in Week 4, UCLA in Week 5, Michigan State in Week 6 (even with two red-zone INTs by Dillon Gabriel), and Purdue in Week 8, setting the stage for a hostile stretch.

The Ducks — with the help of a game-sealing scramble by Ohio State QB Will Howard — defeated the Buckeyes for the second consecutive contest, this time in front of their home crowd in Autzen Stadium.

It came down to the final play, but that victory, plus the recent thrashings of Illinois and Michigan, prove Oregon isn’t just a national championship contender — they’re the favorite. Maryland made them work for their Week 11 win, but the Ducks remain undefeated with Wisconsin (16-13 W) and Washington left on the schedule.

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